Debrecen4U
December 15, 2025
The flame of joy was lit on the city’s Advent wreath
On the third Sunday of Advent, December 14, 2025, the flame of joy was lit on Kossuth Square. The Municipality of Debrecen was represented at the celebration by Deputy Mayor Diána Széles, followed by reflections shared by Baptist pastor János Kiss.
In her greeting, Deputy Mayor Diána Széles spoke about what joy truly means to us. She emphasized that joy appears in our everyday lives through connection, belonging, and the feeling of love. Joy also arises from the fact that we can live in peace, safety, and tranquility, that we have goals, and that we can call meaningful, good days our own.
In youth, joy is found in the bonds we share with our family members. As time goes by, however, loneliness may threaten, and in such moments it is vital to be surrounded by a caring community, a caring city. Debrecen has always considered community to be its greatest treasure since ancient times. Here, love and belonging are tangible; we pay attention to one another, and practicing attentiveness and accepting care are themselves sources of joy, she pointed out.
During Advent, the flame of joy becomes a symbol of love and warmth, something we can pass on to each other. Deputy Mayor Széles expressed her wish that this flame of joy may reach every home in the days remaining until Christmas.
János Kiss, pastor of the Debrecen Baptist Church, offered a profound reflection on the meaning of joy. He described it as “a kind, cheerful, pleasant feeling that permeates our entire being and shapes our state of mind.” Joy, he emphasized, is something we long for, for God created humanity to live in joy. A healthy life requires that joy dwell in our hearts.
Yet, Pastor Kiss noted, the spirit of our age often seeks to rob us of this gift. Day after day, we are confronted with news that stirs fear and anxiety, with countless negative messages that cast shadows over our lives and make joy seem distant. In such darkness, we yearn for even a glimmer of joy, a light to break through. This longing, he explained, is why many people try to compensate for the joy they lack—sometimes by beginning Christmas preparations even before Advent.
According to Pastor Kiss, pain, difficulty, and burdens enter our lives when we distance ourselves from God. As he expressed it, “We must return to the source of joy, because God did not create man for joylessness, but for a life that gives joy.”
Following these reflections, Diána Széles, János Kiss, and a pair of dancers from the Debrecen Hajdú Folk Dance Ensemble lit the third candle on the wreath, and the flame of joy flared up.
The festive program featured performances by members of the Kuckó Art Workshop, students of the Ady Endre Grammar School of Debrecen, the Choir of the Debrecen Baptist Church led by Róbert Marton, the Bürkös Band, dancers of the Debrecen Hajdú Folk Dance Ensemble, as well as vocal artists Ráhel Illi and Veronika Pál.
Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu
