Debrecen4U December 1, 2025

The first Advent candle of the year was lit in Debrecen’s main square

Mayor László Papp and representatives of the three historic churches lit the first Advent candle on Kossuth Square on November 30, 2025. The city’s decorative lights were also switched on on Sunday afternoon.

At the beginning of his speech, Mayor László Papp shared the thoughts of Pope Leo XIV, according to which “Whoever takes part in a pilgrimage and arrives at the destination, it is important to recall the moment of decision.” The city leader recalled that the previous week they had taken Debrecen’s love and greetings to Rome in the form of a wonderful carved, and a gingerbread nativity scene. “A piece of Debrecen, a beautiful piece of Hungarian Christmas traditions, will now be a tangible link between the two prominent centers of European Christianity, Rome and Debrecen, year after year,” he emphasized.

“Looking back at the moment we decided on the pilgrimage, we must say that our journey expressed the sense of belonging, showing that as Christians we are united through our faith in God. We must strive for goodness, mutual understanding, respect, and support. This was the main message of that decision,” stated the city leader.

He highlighted that today, at the beginning of Advent, as we await the miracle of Christmas, hope and faith in family, love, peace, and togetherness must be present in all our hearts. This gives Advent and the coming holiday their spiritual beauty. He added, “The first two candles on our Advent wreath symbolize unwavering faith and hope filled with certainty. The third and fourth candles remind us of joy and love. All four spiritual values are of outstanding importance to us. Through the communal candle‑lightings today and in the coming December weeks, we will focus together on these values.”

“These candles, the lights of Advent, can help us express and strengthen peace more boldly and embrace with greater courage the responsibility of caring for one another and supporting those in need. This is what we have been working on together in Debrecen for many years with the churches, civil organizations, and the city’s well-meaning communities—fostering the realization and strengthening of spiritual unity,” he underlined.

Papp László expressed his gratitude to all those who have been working for weeks in the center of Debrecen to enchant us and create a Christmas fairytale world. “Debrecen dresses up in festive attire to help us prepare for the holiday in spirit so that our souls too can dress up in celebration. Many people have worked hard to ensure that the city’s holiday lights illuminate our hearts, showing Debrecen’s uniqueness once again—being the only Hungarian city among Europe’s five most beautiful Christmas markets. Thanks to everyone who made this possible,” he expressed.

Following the mayor’s reflections, the festive lights of the city center were switched on. In keeping with tradition, the first Advent candle was lit jointly by the mayor of Debrecen together with representatives of the Greek Catholic, Roman Catholic, and Reformed churches. On the festive occasion, the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Debrecen-Nyíregyháza, Fülöp Kocsis; the archbishop-metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Hajdúdorog; and Károly Fekete, the bishop of the Trans-Tisza Reformed Church District, also shared their Advent message with those present.

The festive candle‑lighting can be rewatched at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/drpappl/videos/1456277235926508

Source and photo credit:debrecen.hu