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Esperanto events often have a place named "Gufujo". What is a "Gufujo"? How does a "Gufujo" compare to a traditional "Kafejo"?

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A gufujo is a room at an international Esperanto (usually youth) meeting, in which various teas are served in a calm atmosphere during the evening and at night. It was invented as an alternative to a bar, strictly without smoking or alcohol. The usage of candles contributes to the calm atmosphere. There is usually either no music or only calm music in the gufujo. Sometimes some literature reading or a concert with calm music takes place in the gufujo. The first gufujo took place at the Internacia Seminario 1995/96 in Wetzlar, Germany, and quickly spread to other Esperanto youth events after being well-received by the participants.

A kafejo is just a café, so there are multiple differences between a gufujo and a kafejo/café:

  • A gufujo is always at an Esperanto event. The word kafejo is not strictly linked to Esperanto events, so you can go to a kafejo down the street.
  • A gufujo usually doesn't serve any coffee, and usually has less of a choice of cookies and cakes than a café. To make up for it, a gufujo has a huge variety of teas, including many herbal teas.
  • The gufujo usually functions only during the evening and at night, whereas a café usually works at least throughout the whole afternoon.
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  • The gufujo also seems to be quite a common place to play board games or card games, which is quite a popular activity in Esperanto events.
    – Neil Roberts ♦
    Aug 25, 2016 at 15:25
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A Gufujo is:

a non-alcoholic, non-smoking makeshift European café-type situation (extremely similar to a fika) that takes place in the evening or at night. Esperanto speakers meet at a location, either a rented space or someone's house, and enjoy live music or reading aloud while having tea, coffee, pastries etc. There may be payment with real money expected, as in a real café. It's supposed to be a calm affair, in direct contrast to the wild parties that other Esperanto speakers might be having elsewhere at the same time. The lighting is usually dim and candles are usually lit, which is the custom in European cafés in the evening. Gufujoj were originally intended for people who dislike crowd noise and partying.

Gufujo means more an event than a place where to drink. As described, it is a kind of party.

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    Just to clarify, a gufujo is typically part of the evening program at Esperanto youth meetings. Usually there is a bar, a place to dance and the tea lounge (a.k.a. gufujo). It's quite common to drink until you feel like dancing, dance until you're tired and then chill in the tea lounge until you want a beer, etc...
    – Chuck Smith
    Aug 25, 2016 at 14:30
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    This description from the English Wikipedia is somewhat misleading. A Gufujo is always a room at an international Esperanto gathering, and this is not clear from the description you cited. The description in the Esperanto Wikipedia is much more accurate. I will write an answer based on that.
    – Marcos Cramer
    Aug 25, 2016 at 14:30

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