Sharing magic
For all participants, the holiday of the year became the IV. edition of Advent Bee from Ier Valley
The smell of sweet cake, the smiling faces, the children’s eyes sparkling with the joy of discovery, the jingle of bells, adults guiding and teaching children patiently … No, this is not Christmas, it is the Advent Bee, which is closely associated with the Advent period for four years. On December 7, a magical atmosphere awaited those who came to the museum of Sacueni, it would be a futile attempt to describe what happened, because magic happens when you are part of it.
Crafts of the past
Entering the hall of the museum of St. Ladislau, decorated by attentive hands, the wooden models of Lajos Dormány, a farm with a barn, a cart and a wheel well, representing the not too distant past, welcomed the arrived. The ears of the visitors were struck by the sound of the potter’s machine. A large group of children waited with interest and curiosity at a time, to be able to acquire the mysteries of the potter, from the master László Attila. With his guidance, the children’s damp and clumsy hands turned the piece of clay into plates. At the table next to the potter’s wheel, children had the opportunity to build “from the mud” different shapes, depending on their imagination. At no more than two steps forward, the little hands worked with needles. Under the supervision of Emese Faragó, a kindergarten teacher, the children became acquainted with the technique of felting. Putting the colored wool on a sponge, the action began. The felt needle was used to puncture the fabric, until the tiny threads were compact, giving birth to the Christmas tree decorations. The room was filled with the smell of sweet cake. The bells, stars and trees were decorated with seeds, proved to be very tasty, the tricks of preparing were brought, and shared by the staff, of István Rozsnyai Museum, Emese Kővári and Szabina Jenei. A third member of this team, Alexandra Jenei, showed the children how to throw candles in beautifully painted jars.
Inheritance of ancestors (grandparents)
Corn crushing has proved to be a very attractive activity. For a few minutes, everyone sat in a corner, decorated with straw bales, donated by Nagy Attila and his family, to try to crush the corn, received from Victoria’s grandmother, either by hand or with a corn crusher. Some of them competed to see who is faster. Dolls and braids were made from maize, under the guidance of Professor Szabolcs Bátori. The hammer of the wooden carving tools, indicated the interest for the job chosen by Ferenc Szabó. They managed to learn how to crochet, from Ildiko Braun and Ildiko Major Aniko. Painter Csaba Halmágyi, advertising graphic designer, painter of popular furniture with precise movements of the brush, painted beautiful tulips, pigeons, wheat ears, colored by children on wooden boxes. With the help of the loom, a colorful carpet was made, with the patience of Irén Balajti and the work of the children. Tia Székely-Farkas told the children about the importance of protecting our environment while they prepared Christmas greetings from paper, which was recycled by the children. The wooden cove was not seen by the children around it. Evelin Aszalós brought books for children from the Take a book online store. Ágota Boros, a teacher who makes jewelry from different minerals, made necklaces and bracelets, made of painted noodles with children. In another part of the museum the children learned how to prepare the house noodles. There was one who kneaded, stretched, others cut, chopped, and anyone could join this activity. We thank Mr. Elek Kaszonyi and his family for sponsoring the noodle production activity with fresh eggs. This year, the large quantity of prepared noodles was donated to the Baptist assembly in Sacueni.
Volunteering – anyone can help you
This year, the Advent Bee from Ier Valley was assured by the Er Hangja’s Erasmus Plus strategic partnership project. At the association’s table, with the help of Viktória Vígh and Roland Csorba, decorations were made, from wooden sticks. Throughout the day, the young volunteers strolled around the tables, offering their guests, with diligence and a charming smile, hot tea in the association’s cups and skinless walnuts. There were teachers who accompanied a lot of pupils. Many children came from Edelény, from the Greco-Catholic School of St. Nicholas. They brought Christmas presents to the orphans at Stubenberg Castle in Sacueni and came to the Advent Bee together. During the day, people were able to watch the permanent exhibition of the museum, fishing and popular hunting tools in the area of Ier Valley. When the cheerful voice of the children subsided, the craftsmen were waiting at the table for lunch, and a plate of hot soup was served to all. The organizing team can say that this event ended successfully and all the work behind the event was worth the effort. I can honestly say that for us, it was the holiday of the year! Organized for the fourth time by the Er Hangja Association,
The Advent Bee from Ier Valley was sponsored, this year, by the Social and Community Directorate of Bihor County.