December 22

December twenty-second, The First Unitarian Church Founded in Transylvania (1557). Despite recognition under the 1557 Act of Religious Toleration and receiving the king's patronage, the Unitarian church in Transylvania has faced frequent persecution. Their church crest is meant to recall when Jesus sent his disciples to preach and expected they would face opposition; Jesus counseled them to be as wise as serpents and as gentle as doves. In some Unitarian Universalist congregations in the United States, special Christmas Eve offerings are held to help Unitarians living in Transylvania.