A productive weekend in Kaposvár
As part of the next chapter of our Waters of Somogy project, on the last Saturday of November, Máté Varga gave a presentation about how deeply connected humans have been to water throughout history—life was truly impossible without it. He also shared discoveries from his excavations, particularly from the High Mediaeval era well. Additionally, he discussed the importance of river regulations and their impact on nature.
We learned about how natural waters influenced the development of settlements over time and how vital they are to the organization of human communities. I also gained knowledge about several mills/watermills in the county that I had never even heard of. One particularly intriguing part of the presentation was the hydrological analysis, where we examined slides showing which areas of Hungary were covered by water and how these changed over time.
As always, Gombos teacher included his clever spelling rules, testing our knowledge with a small quiz this time focused on water-related terms. The rest of the session was infused with the theme of water, even in the stories we explored, taken from the unique Somogy folk tale collection of renowned ethnographer Béla Vikár. At the end of the class, he shared a tale from Kaposvár that concluded with an amusing and unexpected twist. I’m looking forward to the next session, which will be held at the Kaposvár Archives, as these tales are currently only available in print there.
— László Kozma and Barnabás Radó
Our Saturday morning session was followed by a Sunday evening event marking the first Sunday of Advent. The city lit up in festive lights, signaling the beginning of the Christmas season, which we celebrated with a theater visit.
“This year, on December 1st, the well-known Advent Charity Gala was held in Kaposvár at the Csiky Gergely Theater. This event also marked the beginning of the Advent season for our Kaposvár group. Just like last year, the first part of our Advent Family Day took place in the theater.
My account is a bit more personal, as I rarely have the chance to spend time with the others as a more ‘distant’ family member—aunt. This is why I was so eagerly anticipating the evening. Even while preparing at home, I felt as though I were reliving the anticipation of my childhood. What would the performance be like? What songs would we hear? How beautiful would the Christmas tree in the lobby be?
Upon arrival, our mentor, Sasa, greeted each foundation youth, their parents, and family members with unparalleled care and affection, like a true mother hen. I saw and felt that everyone was genuinely happy to see each other, and unconditional love filled the conversations. This warm and pleasant feeling set the tone even before the performance began.
Once everyone had arrived, we gathered around the beautifully decorated Christmas tree where the children placed the gifts they had brought, which the theater would later distribute to those in need. I have to admit, I became emotional seeing these young people, each of whom was eager to help others.
After the gift-giving, the program began—and it was fantastic! We enjoyed acapella performances, pop songs, operettas, stories, sung poetry, and performances by talented young dancers and instrumentalists. The evening was filled with moments of humor and heartfelt emotion. But the most important word here is ‘together,’ as we experienced it all together.
I am incredibly grateful to the Foundation for the opportunity to attend such a wonderful and high-quality gala. I’m also thankful for the chance to connect with the group in this way, alongside parents, friends, partners, relatives, development teachers, and volunteers. I hope I will have many more opportunities in the future to attend events organized by the Csányi Foundation. This evening left me energized, and when we got home, I lit the first candle on our Advent wreath with joy. It was the perfect ending to a dazzling evening.”
— Éva Királyné Csutorás, aunt
