Festival of Lights in Washington D.C.
If you’re here, you may have seen the reel I posted about me attending the Lighting Ceremony of the Festival of Lights at the Washington DC Temple on my instagram page @DeZayatoTravel.
Washington DC Temple December 2024
I kickstarted this Christmas season with a very special event. I attended the 47th Annual Festival of Lights Lighting Ceremony held at the Temple Visitor Center on December 3, 2024. The Festival of Light Lighting Ceremony was hosted by J.W. Marriot Jr, and David Marriott. The guest of honor was the Mongolian Ambassador, His Excellency, Batbayar Ulziidelger and a living apostle, Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostle from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
We arrived at the temple grounds, the temple shining bright white, but everywhere else, the temple grounds looked normal. Inside the temple visitor center, there was a special room showcasing Nativity scenes from 95 countries, with 4 displays from Mongolia! I was delighted to see Navity dolls from all across the globe, some of my favorite ones were from Burkina Faso, Jordan, Morocco, Germany and of course, Mongolia! Coming through the end of the room, I got to meet and shake hands with Elder Andersen, Mr. Marriott, and His Excellency Mr. Ulziidelger.
The Washington DC Temple Choir sang Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and the Ambassador gave remarks on peace and unity. And the room joined everyone in singing Christmas carols such as Angels We Have Heard on High, the kids led everyone with bells singing Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Jingle Bells, and we sang Oh, Come, All ye Faithful and Away in a Manger.
The Mongolian Ambassador, His Excellency, Batbayar Ulziidelger, gave this remarks about how the celebration of the festival of light is a reminder, a “beacon of hope, unity celebrated across the globe. The festival of light of symbol of enduring spirit of fellowship that transends the borders and unites us all, In Mongolia, The light is a symbol of prosperity and enlightenment, a reminder of ties that bind us.” He shared combined efforts through partnership with the church the educational support in rural areas, spiritual guidance, and humanitarian aid that has been brought to Mongolia through shared values and ideals. In the end, he shared a message of “love and kindness, making the world a more peaceful and prosperous place.”
There was a special musical number led by a Mongolian Missionary, Sister Javkhlan Chinzorigt, taught the sister missionaries and the Washington DC Temple Choir in singing a special version of Silent Night, where they sang the first verse in Mongolian and then in English. I felt chills to hear that special rendition.
Elder Neil L. Andersen spoke of being a Purveyor of Light and how many in attendance are purveyors of light, Elder Andersen recounted of an experience he had on Christmas Eve, when he was in France on his way to his mission post with his family and missionaries when their car broke down on their way to their home in Bordeaux. His kids were so excited to be having a Christmas Eve dinner at their home, but it seemed like that was not going to happen, they prayed and hoped for a solution. They stopped by a small inn with a vineyard when the innkeeper, Mr. Darroze, selflessly offered up his van without asking for anything in return so that his family, especially his little kids could be at home on Christmas Eve. He shared how this man was a great example and a purveyor of light.
Following the Ambassador and the Apostle, Neil L. Anderson, with the whole room, counted down and pressed the button in unison to light of the Festival of Lights, the choir sang “Joy to the World” in angelic fortissimo, the whole temple grounds where illuminated with over 500,000 lights! Walking through the temple grounds in its full illuminated glory was one of my favorite things to experience on this special night. Seeing the Temple lights every Christmas season is my favorite things to do. Since immigrating to America when I was eight from Mongolia, I have grown up coming to this temple to see the Festival of Light, and to do and be a part of special services in the temple, but this Christmas it was doubly special for me to see my heritage and my faith merge on a single point in time with so many others were there to witness it.
If you are looking to do Christmas activities with your family and friends, you should definitely come check out the Washington DC Temple Festival of Lights. The Washington DC Temple Visitor Center has daily evening performances from December 5, 2024 until January 1, 2025. You can check out their daily schedule.