Debrecen4U December 22, 2025

The Flame of Love Was Lit on the City’s Advent Wreath

On the fourth Sunday of Advent, 21 December 2025, the flame of love was lit on the Advent wreath in Kossuth Square.

The Municipality of Debrecen was represented at the ceremony by Deputy Mayor Ákos Balázs, followed by reflections shared by Barnabás Sipos, Orthodox parish priest.

In his greeting, Deputy Mayor Ákos Balázs spoke about how Kossuth Square—now dressed in festive lights—is one of the most important symbols of the city’s community, a place where year after year the residents come together to recall the essence of the season: the sense of belonging that shapes individuals into a community.

“On the fourth Sunday of Advent, we light the candle of love—the flame that perhaps carries the most defining message on the road toward Christmas. The light of the love candle is not a loud or dramatic sign. It is a flame in which quiet steadfastness resides. Love lives far more in actions and in attentiveness to others than in words. It appears in a small gesture when we pay attention to someone; in the moment we show patience; or when we take the time to listen to someone who may have been waiting precisely for that,” he said.

He stressed that the community of Debrecen has long shown that caring, attentiveness, and supporting others are not merely festive intentions but everyday values. The city’s religious communities, civil organisations, institutions, and residents demonstrate in countless ways that the strength of a community lies in acts of goodwill. In these everyday yet meaningful actions, the kind of love becomes tangible on which the future of a city can be built. As Advent draws to a close, it becomes especially valuable to pause for a moment and recognise that each of us is capable of bringing light into someone else’s life—with a gesture, a thought, or a bit of attention. If we carry this light with us into the holidays and the new year, we not only brighten a few days of the season but also shape our environment more lastingly—the city we share, the deputy mayor pinted out.

He expressed his hope that the light of the love candle would be a source of strength for all of us. May it bring cheerfulness and calm, and reinforce the conviction that the value and strength of a community arise from our shared responsibility. May it bring peace to our homes and enrich the spirit of the approaching holidays. He closed his greeting by wishing every family in Debrecen a blessed, peaceful Advent season and heartfelt celebrations.

Orthodox parish priest Barnabás Sipos reflected on the central Advent question: Where is Jesus? He drew a parallel with the wise men who sought the newborn king, emphasizing that Jesus is always found where people genuinely search for Him. He explained that this search often begins in our longings, doubts, and perseverance He highlighted that Jesus is present wherever people value and support one another—especially the innocent, the struggling, and the vulnerable. Through encounters with others, he said, Jesus opens our eyes to God’s mystery He also connected the wise men’s gifts to the idea that Jesus appears wherever hearts open like treasure chests, allowing people to offer what is most precious to one another. He concluded that throughout life we continually seek and rediscover God. The essence of Christmas, he said, is that Jesus allows Himself to be found by those who truly look for Him

After these reflections, Ákos Balázs and Barnabás Sipos lit the fourth candle on the Advent wreath using the flame brought by the scouts from Bethlehem—from the eternal lamp of the Church of the Nativity—thus kindling the flame of love. Torches lit from the Bethlehem flame illuminated the square in front of the Reformed Great Church, and the scouts passed the flame on to many people in lanterns.

The festive programme featured performances by: vocalist Ráhel Illi; singer Aliz Nyári; students of the Ady Endre Grammar School of Debrecen; teacher Edit Bagosi; students of the “Move, Debrecen!” movement; students of the Dóczy Grammar School of the Reformed College of Debrecen; students of Szent József Grammar School; the Choir of the Holy Trinity Hungarian Orthodox Parish of Debrecen; the “Sing!” Vocal Studio (instructor: Melinda Zsom); dancers of the Debrecen Folk Ensemble; members of the Debrecen Hajdú Folk Dance Ensemble; dancers of the Lesz Dance School (choreographer: Szabolcs Jóna); members of the Kuckó Arts Workshop; the Debrecen scout troop; and the Bíró Band.

Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu