A Hungarian Christmas

One Advent Candle is lit for each of the four Sundays before Christmas

It is Christmas Eve afternoon here in Hungary and Christmas has begun!  The streets are becoming deserted as more and more people make it home for Christmas.  This evening most families will set up and decorate their Christmas trees and share good food and conversation and just being together.  Catholics will attend Christmas mass later.  Children will want to be up extra early in the morning to see what Baby Jesus brought for gifts for them.  A Christmas dinner will be sure to include fish, maybe traditional spicy fish soup.  The celebration will continue on the 26th, the "second day of Christmas." Stores will remain closed and visits will be made to extended family members and friends.

Our plans include Christmas with our family members on Skype this evening, attending the Christmas service on the 25th at the Open Bible Church, and attending an open house at an American missionary's home on the 26th. 

We wish all of you a very Merry Christmas.What an honor it is to celebrate the birthday of the One who loved us enough to become one of us, to show us how to live, to die in our place, and to rise from the dead, giving life forever to all who put their faith in him!  Happy birthday, Jesus!