Closed for Christmas

Wal-Mart?

CVS?

Publix?

Nah...it's your local megachurch.

Central Kentucky's largest church will break with tradition and close its doors on Christmas Sunday so that staff and volunteers can spend more time with their families.

Southland Christian Church near Lexington, where more than 7,000 people worship each week, is one of several evangelical megachurches across the country that are opting to cancel services on one of the holiest days on the Christian calendar.

Supporters say the change is family-friendly. Opponents call it a regrettable bow to secular culture.

The list of closed congregations on Christmas Sunday reads like a who's who of evangelical Protestantism: Willow Creek Community Church, the Chicago area's largest congregation; Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Mich.; North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Ga.; and Fellowship Church near Dallas.

The churches, which rank among the largest congregations in America, will hold multiple Christmas Eve services instead.

Megachurch officials around the country consulted with each other before deciding to take the day off.

The decision makes sense in today's hectic world, said Willow Creek spokeswoman Cally Parkinson. "It's more than being family-friendly. It's being lifestyle-friendly for people who are just very, very busy," she said.

Many evangelical churches don't hold Christmas day services, except when the holiday falls on a Sunday.

For some evangelicals, it's the day of the week -- not the day of the year -- that's sacred. To them, closing the doors of the church on the Lord's Day is unthinkable.

Others, troubled by the holiday's increasingly secular tone, lament the change.

While admiring the emphasis on family, Fuller Theological Seminary professor Robert K. Johnston worries that another Christian tradition is fading. Fuller, in Pasadena, Calif., is one of the nation's premier evangelical schools.

"What's going on here is a redefinition of Christmas as a time of family celebration rather than as a time of the community faithful celebrating the birth of the savior," said Johnston, a professor of theology and culture. "There is a risk that we will lose one more of our Christian rituals, one that's at the heart of our faith."

Context, please:

Half of my family is Protestant- rather low-church southern Methodist. When I was growing up, it never crossed any of their minds to go to church on Christmas unless, as the piece notes, it fell on a Sunday. (The fact that it does fall on a Sunday this year makes this closing kind of odd, though) In fact, I don't think their churches had Christmas services (early 60's - 70's). Growing up, for the most part, in the South, it was clear even to me that it really wasn't until the 80's or so that low-church Protestants (which would include evangelicals) started having Christmas services, and most of those were pageants and musicals.  More than a few Catholic Churches in the south were often packed at Christmas, especially Midnight Mass, not just because of twice-a-year Catholics, but because of Protestants looking for somewhere to go to church, something their spiritual instincts told them they should do.

Most fascinating, this push and pull that some American evangelicals are experiencing between their own spiritual sensibilities, American culture, and the deep river of Christian tradition.

And of course, in the comments, Zhou reminds us of the Puritan-rooted association of liturgical markings of Christmas with pagan-saturated Catholicism. But that would also apply to Christmas trees and such, which I presume are not being neglected by these folks. But still, there is that suspicion.

Comments

[Maureen]

Well, that about wraps it up for American megachurch Christianity.

OTOH, this is a wonderful opportunity for other churches.... :)

[Other Marc]

I was raised Protestant and it also was rare for us to go to church on Christmas day (even if it was on Sunday). Not sure if that is "official" or not, but it is sort of a Protestant thing in general to decide whether to attend church on a Sunday even if it isn't Christmas. I think the Sunday obligation is a very Catholic thing, not part of Protestant culture or teachings (keep the day holy, yes...attend church, maybe).

The part that I found interesting was the implication that going to church is not "family-oriented" or family friendly. That speaks volumes about the mega-church idea. Something which should be discussed as an entirely seperate issue from the goings on at 1st Baptist church down the street.

[TNP]

Here in Tennessee, a Baptist friend has been meeting our family for midnight Mass for the past four years because her mega-church doesn't have services on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

[Bartleby]

This is a revelation to me. I am Protestant, and I've never been involved with a church that did not conduct Sunday services on Christmas Day, when Christmas Day happened to be a Sunday. (On the other hand, I've never been to one of the "megachurches," either, and have no knowledge of their practices.)

Always seemed to me like kind of a special treat, when Christmas fell on a Sunday.

Very strange.

[ajb]

This seems like a more relevant "war on Christmas" than what particular greeting any never-quite-specified salesclerk at any given retail store supposedly-but-never-quite-confirmed can or can't wish you.

[Old Zhou]

I can understand that this is "shocking!" and a sign of the end of the world for Catholics and "liturgical" Protestant types like Episcopaleans and Lutherans.

But in my evangelical, Protestant church we never celebrated Christmas at all. It received a theological, historical grade of P for pagan. The fact that Catholics and "almost Catholic" Protestant churches celebrated Christmas only proved their apostasy.

For those who are interested, there is ample material to be found by Google concerning all the arguments against Christmas in general and Christmas on December 25 in particular.

Which is not to say that the Incarnation of Christ is not significant in the evangelical, Protestant churches. Of course it is. It is the coming of the God-man, our big brother who opens the way for us to be divinized, joining divinity to our humanity, rescuing us from the Fall, and leading us into glory. All this has very little to do with the winter solstice, decorated trees, exchanging presents, or department store sales.

[John J. Simmins]

We should start a campaign to keep the "mass" in Christmas!

[frsteven]

Many Catholic parishes go in the same direction regarding Christmas day Masses. In my last parish we had three Masses Christmas Eve that were packed full and one Mass on Christmas day that was perhaps 3/4 full. It seems like the norm as I listen to other pastors.

[SouthCoast]

Are they also, then, going to close on Easter Sunday, to allow for more familytogetherness hunting chocolate eggs and lining up at the local eatery for Easter brunch?

[Anna]

Knowing how many more people that it takes to put on one of the mega-church services, I can understand their reasoning. BUT, it still horrifies me.

They could just cut back on the number of services and/or have more on Saturday evening.

[Old Zhou]

Well, South Coast,

Since you mentioned the "other" big day for "Christmas and Easter" Catholics, in my evangelical, Protestant church we never celebrated Easter at all, either. It received a theological, historical grade of P for pagan. The fact that Catholics and "almost Catholic" Protestant churches celebrated Easter only proved their apostasy (just like Christmas).

For those who are interested, there is ample material to be found by Google concerning all the arguments against Easter as celebrated (eggs, bunny, fertility icons, Vernal equinox, etc).

Which is not to say that the Resurrection of Christ is not significant in the evangelical, Protestant churches. Of course it is. It is the coming of the new creation, the birth of the Church, the victory our big brother over death, joining us to himself and making us one in Him. All this has very little to do with the eggs, bunnies, chocolate, pretty dresses and hats, the Jewish calendar or Spring.

Is not every Sunday the celebration of the Lord's resurrection? Are we not called to live the new creation every day?

This business of Christmas and Easter touches on a larger difference of faith communities. There are perfectly happy communities which are non-liturgical and do not use any sort of liturgical calendar beyond "The Lord's Day" every Sunday. That is all.

[Samuel J. Howard]

Growing up as a Unitarian-Universalist (in New England where the denominations historical roots are in the Puritan churches) (now Catholic) we didn't have Christmas day services, but we did have Christmas Eve services.

[Anne]

I live in Lexington, and so I am familiar with Southland. I find it laughable that they would not have services on Christmas....But I think it speaks to the fact that evangelicals lack a liturgical calendar and that this lack is very felt (proven by the those mentioned in the article who go to Catholic Masses at Christmas, and also by my own personal aquaintances who do the same). My friends and I (I got to UK) are quite familiar with Southland's feel good theology.

[Samuel J. Howard]

(of course the Puritans felt like Zhou's former evangelical bretheren about Christmas.)

[sharon d.]

Like Zhou, my husband grew up in a denomination that eschewed the evil Pagan-Catholic Christmas, but apparently encouraged a secular, family-based celebration at home. This struck me as extremely weird when he told me about it--religious Christmas bad, secular Christmas good--but the presents-and-dinner Christmas at home is still an extremely important thing to him. So we go to Midnight Mass, and spend Christmas Day doing the secular thing at his parents' house. Works for everyone so far.

Zhou, did your childhood church allow/encourage the secular Christmas too? Or was this just my dh's family's particular branch of the CoC?

[Old Zhou]

A bit of self-revelation....you may skip this if you are not curious about my own peculiar journey of faith....

My wife and I have never had a Christmas tree. Never. Not one. Not as evangelical, Protestants (remember, our home was used for ministry, and a tree would never have been allowed...), nor even as Catholics. Not even an artificial one. Now, since we have come back to the Catholic Church, we do have a joyful nativity scene in our home, and we send Christmas cards to friends (about half of them bishops, abbots, priests and religious), and we have an advent wreath. We go to midnight Christmas Mass at a local parish (varying each year).

But that is about it for "special" Christmas stuff with us. I don't have much appetite for "secular" Christmas stuff like office parties. And we don't have a television, and hardly listen to radio, so we don't get bombarded with the marketplace Christmas.

As we pray the Liturgy of the Hours all year, we do use the volume I for Advent and Christmas, and at the monastery we chant different antiphons and psalms. But I consider this just part of our living and praying through the Church's liturgical calendar all year long, and not anything "special" or "Christmas-y." It is just regualar life for us, celebrating, loving and contemplating Christ in the season when the Church focuses on his Incarnation.

[Old Zhou]

In response to Sharon D.'s question: all celebration of Christmas was considered apostate in our Church. No religious Christmas. No participation in secular Christmas events (no sending of cards, no parties). No Christmas decorations or clothing. No family traditions of Christmas.

This last bit did cause some conflicts for new converts, but it was a price they willingly paid, a cross to bear, to shake off the blindness of apostate religion mixed with paganism.

Now, today I will tell you that it was just a little bit extreme. But it is still rather tense when we visit with my wife's family (still in that church) and we have to be discrete about not mentioning Christmas very much when we are at their house on December 25.

Now, a great contradiction is that they are anti-Christmas and Easter for reasons of "purifying" their Christian religion; but they have no objections to contraception. Seems a bit like straining out the gnats and swallowing the camels; but don't get me started. I'm not there anymore.

[reluctant penitent]

'Which is not to say that the Incarnation of Christ is not significant in the evangelical, Protestant churches. Of course it is. It is the coming of the God-man, our big brother who opens the way for us to be divinized, joining divinity to our humanity, rescuing us from the Fall, and leading us into glory. All this has very little to do with the winter solstice, decorated trees, exchanging presents, or department store sales.'

The Incarnation may have very little to do with trees, presents and all that jazz but it should have something to do with the communal celebration and contemplation of this Mystery of the faith--which is why the closing of churches and the failure to mark the day in a religous (rather than commercial) manner is a mystery to this very simple-minded Christian.

[Old Zhou]

Just some background, from The History Channel:

An Outlaw Christmas
In the early 17th century, a wave of religious reform changed the way Christmas was celebrated in Europe. When Oliver Cromwell and his Puritan forces took over England in 1645, they vowed to rid England of decadence and, as part of their effort, cancelled Christmas.
...

The pilgrims, English separatists that came to America in 1620, were even more orthodox in their Puritan beliefs than Cromwell. As a result, Christmas was not a holiday in early America. From 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was actually outlawed in Boston. Anyone exhibiting the Christmas spirit was fined five shillings.
...

Christmas wasn't declared a federal holiday until June 26, 1870.

[reluctant penitent]

'When Oliver Cromwell and his Puritan forces took over England in 1645, they vowed to rid England of decadence and, as part of their effort, cancelled Christmas.'

What do these people have in common: Cromwell and the Puritans, the White Witch, the Grinch? Just asking.

[Maureen]

But Zhou, don't you put out straw for the Three Kings, or shoes/stockings for St. Nicholas? Celebrate Childermas by doing stuff for the poor aborted babies? Make St. Lucy's cakes? Do anything holidayish for the holy day?

I mean, you don't have to copy the blend of German and English culture that characterizes the usual American Christmas customs. But you ought to have some manner of saintly and holidayish fun, even if you have to make up something consonant with your ethnic background and preferences in fun. Otherwise, you're missing half the fun and traditional devotion of being Catholic. Which, for a trad-flavored Catholic, is a lot sadder than for a liberal or moderate one.

Even if your religious style is austere, you can still do something feasty and festive for the holy days and seasons.

Maureen, just so sad about this!

[Epovick]

If our priest married, would we have to cancel Christmas Mass because they wanted to stay home with the kids and open presents?

[Old Zhou]

Well, Maureen, my wife does insist that we watch a DVD of A Christmas Story on the computer. We love how it ends in a Chinese restaurant.

"Fa ra ra ra ra, ra ra ra ra." Whack!

[Sandra Miesel]

Zhou, sometimes you just too "precious" for words and this is one of the times.
Christmas wasn't a holiday in heavily WASP Indiana until it became a Federal holiday. Easter celebrations were viewed with suspicion in many Protestant churches in the US until the late 19th C. Leigh Schmidt, author of that new "I'm spiritual, not religious" book wrote an interesting study on the evolution of major American holidays, CONSUMER RITES.

[Maggie]

My Catholic friends in Louisville lovingly call that church Six Flags over Jesus. Don't you love that name!!!!!

[Liam]

I will adumbrate frsteven's remarks to note that, at least in the past decade in the Boston area, there has been a dramatic shift away from Christmas Day attendance at Mass so that Christmas morning often is more highly populated with out-of-town visitors (who travelled the night before, it would seem) than regulars.

In my parent's parish on Long Island, the 5PM vigil Mass is the biggest social event of the year.

The 7:30PM Vigil that follows it -- which my parents attend because of the logistics of frailty and age -- is perhaps 1/3 full, with a cantor/organist bleating out 4 hymns. That's it. It's sooooo depressing. At least the adjoining parish of which we used to be part has more lively Christmas morning liturgies.

But I know a number of Catholic parishes that have considered cancelling their Christmas morning liturgy(s) due to insufficient demand, for lack of a better phrase.

[Mike Petrik]

Epovick,
Not to fear. My priest is married, and he would never dream of cancelling Christmas Mass.

[Bob Smietana]

All the churches named in the story, as far as I can tell, are having extensive services on Christmas Eve-- which takes the wind of out this story.

[Kevin Jones]

How many of us Catholics will find it really hard to find a daily mass on St. Stephen's Day? Christmastide is likely neglected.

[Hartmeister]

In general I would say the trend is to have less religious services on Sundays because for many this is a one day rest compared with the previous two days. With two-income families, Saturdays are for many families more stressful than a day of work. Cleaning, yard-work, shopping all get crammed into Saturday and that often includes the religious service. That way people can just stay home with the family on Sunday.

[Joseph]

Some people seem to make this issue way too complicated....references to the concurrence of pagan holidays for example or whether the exact date of Christ's birth can be determined. The Church has decided on Dec 25 as the day that we Catholics pay particular attention to and celebrate the Incarnation. As Catholics, we celebrate significant events by attending Mass.

[Ed]

From Old Zhou ...

"Is not every Sunday the celebration of the Lord's resurrection?".

Very true. As a linguistic aside, I recall from my Russian language courses several decades ago that the Russian word "Voskresenyeh" ( sorry can't do Cyrillic alphabet here ) has the dual meaning of "Sunday" and "Resurrection".

[Ian]

Amy,

Fascinating article and comments. The recent article linked my many Catholic blogs recently regarding "Keeping the Mass in Christmas" really came alive with your post. Until now, I didn't believe that the eschewing of Christmas by Protestants was a real thing - I thought it "Trad propaganda" so to speak...

[Chris]

So Good Friday is P for pagan, too?

Do people go to services on Good Friday?

And if they do, but don't on Easter, isn't that kind of screwed up, since Protestants don't like seeing Jesus on the crucifix?

[Mary]

Count me as another one who thinks the pagan connections are irrelevant - completely. The coming of Christ, the Incarnation, allows us to "baptize" into Christ whatever of the world in which He chose to plant His feet that we want, and so the Church adapted - and caught up to an infinitely higher plain - all kinds of things, including formerly pagan places (which they then dedicated to saints); herbs, which they renamed for Our Lady, etc. etc. etc. As far as I am concerned, they belong to us now - even Christmas treees, mistletoe, etc!

Also, correct me if I am wrong, but I was always taught that at least in colonial new England, Christmas was outlawed more because it was viewed as Catholic than that it was pagan...

[Cranky Lawyer]

This story reminds me a bit of a trip to the Soviet Union I took in mid-1985. In Moscow, the restaurants (at least the ones we tried to eat in) would close at lunch and dinnertime--to allow the employees to eat.

Understandable but strange.

[Old Zhou]

Dear Chris,

If Every Sunday is the Celebration of the Resurrection,
the Every Friday is the Remembrance of the Crucifixion.

"From the earliest times the Christians kept every Friday as a feast day." (Catholic Encyclopedia on Good Friday). It was the preparation for the Sabbath (a.k.a. Saturday), it is the 6th Day, the day of concluding our work, and the day God concluded his work (both in Genesis 2 and on the Cross). It is "the End." Every Friday.

This is very prominent in the Liturgy of the Hours (a.k.a. Divine Office), which is still largely a weekly liturgical cycle. Friday is the 6th Day, the Last Day, the day of remembrance of the Lord's crucifixion. Then comes the Sabbath (Latin Sabbato). Then the day of resurrection, the Lord's Day, the 1st day of the week.

For Christian communities that have, at most, a "weekly" liturgical calendar tradition, there are no big annual events like Christmas, Easter or Good Friday.

[Liam]

Observing Christmas was only illegal in the colony of Massachusetts Bay for a couple of decades after 1659. While Alabama and a couple of other southern states recognized Christmas as a holiday in the late 1830, it was the 1850s (the peak of nativist anti-Catholic feeling in the US) that saw a large number of states recognize the holiday. (The Commonwealth of Massachusetts did so in 1856.)

A federal statute recognizing legal holidays in the District of Columbia was not enacted until 1870 -- and that statute included Christmas.

[Jon W]

I grew up in a charismatic evangelical church. We were all about celebrating Christmas but it just never occured to most of us to have Christmas services unless they were on a Sunday. I remember as a kid being somewhat put out that we had to go to church on Christmas just because it fell on a Sunday.

I think the Sunday obligation is a very Catholic thing, not part of Protestant culture or teachings (keep the day holy, yes...attend church, maybe).

I think this might depend very much on which tradition of Protestantism you're a part of, and how devout and/or strict your family is. It was just always assumed in my family that if it was Sunday you would go to church unless you were actually vomiting blood. Then ... maybe.

[Fr. Rob Johansen]

I have to confirm the trend toward Christmas eve Mass-going and away from Christmas day.

At my former parish, which was relatively large (2000 families) the 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM Masses Christmas eve were absolutely packed: SRO, people in the aisles, etc. Before Mass, the ushers would have to periodically nudge people out of the sanctuary and patrol to keep people from plopping down anywhere and everywhere, making all movement impossible.

Midnight Mass was full, but usually no one was left standing. The 8:00 AM Mass Christmas day would be 3/4 to full, the 10:00 1/3 to 1/2 full. After 2 years of having 60-80 people show up for the Noon Mass on Christmas day (in a church that seated 500), my pastor dropped the Noon Mass altogether.

At my current parish, in the past they have had two Masses Christmas eve (6:00 PM and Midnight) and one on Christmas day, at 10:00 AM. I'm leaving it that way this year, but I'll see how it goes.

[Old Zhou]

From OliverCromwell.org

...
Increasingly in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, many people, especially the more Godly, came to frown upon this celebration of Christmas, for two reasons. Firstly, they disliked all the waste, extravagance, disorder, sin and immorality of the Christmas celebrations. Secondly, they saw Christmas (that is, Christ’s mass) as an unwelcome survival of the Roman Catholic faith, as a ceremony particularly encouraged by the Catholic church and by the recusant community in England and Wales, a popish festival with no biblical justification – nowhere had God called upon mankind to celebrate Christ’s nativity in this way, they said. What this group wanted was a much stricter observance of the Lord’s day (Sundays), but the abolition of the popish and often sinful celebration of Christmas, as well as of Easter, Whitsun and assorted other festivals and saints’ days.
...
In January 1645 a group of ministers appointed by parliament produced a new Directory of Public Worship, which set out a new church organisation and new forms of worship to be adopted and followed in England and Wales. The Directory made clear that Sundays were to be strictly observed as holy days, for the worship of God, but that there were to be no other holy days – ‘festival days, vulgarly called Holy Days, having no warrant in the Word of God, are not to be continued’. Parliamentary legislation adopting the Directory of Public Worship, initially as one of several forms which could be followed in England and Wales, but then as the only form which was legal and was to be allowed, abolishing and making illegal any other forms of worship and church services, therefore prohibited (on paper at least) the religious celebration of all other holy days, including Christmas. In June 1647 the Long Parliament reiterated this by passing an Ordinance confirming the abolition of the feasts of Christmas, Easter and Whitsun....

[Fr. J]

Given the reasoning maybe they should close on sunday too?

[hieronymus]

A Song Bewailing the Time of Christmas,
So Much Decayed in England
Christmas is my name, for have I gone, have I gone, have I gone,
Have I gone without regard;
Whereas great men by flocks they be flown to Londonward
Where in pomp and pleasure do waste
That which Christmas had wont to feast,
Welladay!
Houses where music was wonted to ring,
Nothing but bats and owls now do sing.
Welladay, welladay, welladay, where should I stay?

Christmas bread and beef is turned into stones, into stones, into stones,
Into stones and silken rags.
And Lady Money, it doth sleep, it doth sleep, it doth sleep,
It doth sleep in misers' bags.
Where many gallants once abound,
Nought but a dog and shepherd is found,
Welladay!
Places where Christmas revels did keep
Are now become habitations for sheep.
Welladay, welladay, welladay, where should I stay?

Pan, the shepherds' god, doth deface, doth deface, doth deface,
Doth deface Lady Ceres' crown;
And tillages doth decay, doth decay, doth decay,
Doth decay in every town;
Landlords their rents so highly enhance
That Piers the ploughman barefoot doth dance,
Welladay!
Farmers that Christmas would entertain
Hath scarcely withal themselves to maintain.
Welladay, welladay, welladay, where should I stay?

Go to the Protestant, he'll protest, he'll protest, he'll protest,
He will protest and boldly boast;
And to the Puritan, he is so hot, he is so hot, he is so hot,
He is so hot he will burn the roast.
The Catholic good deeds will not scorn,
Nor will he see poor Christmas forlorn,
Welladay!
Since holiness no good deeds will do,
Protestants had best turn Papists too.
Welladay, welladay, welladay, where should I stay?

Pride and luxury doth devour, doth devour, doth devour,
Doth devour housekeeping quite,
And beggary doth beget, doth beget, doth beget,
Doth beget in many a knight.
Madam, forsooth, in coach must she reel
Although she wear her hose out at heel,
Welladay!
And on her back were that for her weed
That would both me and many other feed,
Welladay, welladay, welladay, where should I stay?

Briefly for to end, here I find, here I find, here I find,
Here I find such great vacation
That some great houses do seem to have, seem to have, seem to have,
For to have some great purgation:
With purging pills such effects they have showed
That out of doors their owners they have spewed.
Welladay!
And when Christmas goes by and calls,
Nothing but solitude and naked walls.
Welladay, welladay, welladay, where should I stay?

Philomel's cottages are turned into gold, into gold,
Into gold for harboring Joan;
And great men's houses up for to hold, up for to hold,
Up for to hold, make great men moan;
But in the city they say they do live
Where gold by handfuls away they do give,
Welladay!
And, therefore, thither I purpose to pass,
Hoping at London to find the Golden Ass.
I'll away, I'll away, I'll away, I'll no longer stay.

[Fr. Shawn O'Neal]

I give my parishioners some credit because at least they have never celebrated a 4pm Christmas Vigil Mass. We wait until 6pm. It's after sundown, at least.

I am also glad that my parishioners do not have a "Let's get it over with and go home" attitude with that vigil.

Of course, almost half of my parishioners are in their Flahriddah winter homes now. I can only imagine how Masses are at those churches.

[Mary Jane]

In my Protestant family, Christmas is not about church. In fact, my mother asked me why I didn't come out to California for Christmas this year and when I said that I had to work (I'm a church musician), she said "oh, right." (I think she considers this another peculiarly Catholic thing.)

Our pastor did decide, after much angst and examination of past attendance patterns, to have only one Mass at 11 a.m. on Christmas Day. We have a 4 pm, 7 pm and 10:30 pm on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day has always been light. For those of us who direct and/or accompany (and who will be rather worn out from 12/24), this is a good idea. We'll see how it plays out.

[Liam]

Charles Dickens comments:

"At this festive season of the year, Mr. Scrooge," said the gentleman, taking up a pen, "it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the Poor and Destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir."

"Are there no prisons?" asked Scrooge.

"Plenty of prisons," said the gentleman, laying down the pen again.

"And the Union workhouses?" demanded Scrooge. "Are they still in operation?"

"They are. Still," returned the gentleman, "I wish I could say they were not."

"The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then?" said Scrooge.

"Both very busy, sir."

"Oh! I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something had occurred to stop them in their useful course," said Scrooge. "I'm very glad to hear it."

"Under the impression that they scarcely furnish Christian cheer of mind or body to the multitude," returned the gentleman, "a few of us are endeavouring to raise a fund to buy the Poor some meat and drink and means of warmth. We choose this time, because it is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices. What shall I put you down for?"

"Nothing!" Scrooge replied.

"You wish to be anonymous?"

"I wish to be left alone," said Scrooge. "Since you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer. I don't make merry myself at Christmas and I can't afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have mentioned -- they cost enough; and those who are badly off must go there."

"Many can't go there; and many would rather die."

"If they would rather die," said Scrooge, "they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. Besides -- excuse me -- I don't know that."

"But you might know it," observed the gentleman.

"It's not my business," Scrooge returned. "It's enough for a man to understand his own business, and not to interfere with other people's. Mine occupies me constantly. Good afternoon, gentlemen!"

Seeing clearly that it would be useless to pursue their point, the gentlemen withdrew. Scrooge returned his labours with an improved opinion of himself, and in a more facetious temper than was usual with him.

Meanwhile the fog and darkness thickened so, that people ran about with flaring links, proffering their services to go before horses in carriages, and conduct them on their way. The ancient tower of a church, whose gruff old bell was always peeping slyly down at Scrooge out of a Gothic window in the wall, became invisible, and struck the hours and quarters in the clouds, with tremulous vibrations afterwards as if its teeth were chattering in its frozen head up there. The cold became intense. In the main street at the corner of the court, some labourers were repairing the gas-pipes, and had lighted a great fire in a brazier, round which a party of ragged men and boys were gathered: warming their hands and winking their eyes before the blaze in rapture. The water-plug being left in solitude, its overflowing sullenly congealed, and turned to misanthropic ice. The brightness of the shops where holly sprigs and berries crackled in the lamp heat of the windows, made pale faces ruddy as they passed. Poulterers' and grocers' trades became a splendid joke; a glorious pageant, with which it was next to impossible to believe that such dull principles as bargain and sale had anything to do. The Lord Mayor, in the stronghold of the mighty Mansion House, gave orders to his fifty cooks and butlers to keep Christmas as a Lord Mayor's household should; and even the little tailor, whom he had fined five shillings on the previous Monday for being drunk and bloodthirsty in the streets, stirred up to-morrow's pudding in his garret, while his lean wife and the baby sallied out to buy the beef.

Foggier yet, and colder! Piercing, searching, biting cold. If the good Saint Dunstan had but nipped the Evil Spirit's nose with a touch of such weather as that, instead of using his familiar weapons, then indeed he would have roared to lusty purpose. The owner of one scant young nose, gnawed and mumbled by the hungry cold as bones are gnawed by dogs, stooped down at Scrooge's keyhole to regale him with a Christmas carol: but at the first sound of --

"God bless you, merry gentleman!
May nothing you dismay!"

Scrooge seized the ruler with such energy of action, that the singer fled in terror, leaving the keyhole to the fog and even more congenial frost.

At length the hour of shutting up the countinghouse arrived. With an ill-will Scrooge dismounted from his stool, and tacitly admitted the fact to the expectant clerk in the Tank, who instantly snuffed his candle out, and put on his hat.

"You'll want all day to-morrow, I suppose?" said Scrooge.

"If quite convenient, sir."

"It's not convenient," said Scrooge, "and it's not fair. If I was to stop half-a-crown for it, you'd think yourself ill-used, I'll be bound?"

The clerk smiled faintly.

"And yet," said Scrooge, "you don't think me ill-used, when I pay a day's wages for no work."

The clerk observed that it was only once a year.

"A poor excuse for picking a man's pocket every twenty-fifth of December!" said Scrooge, buttoning his great-coat to the chin. "But I suppose you must have the whole day. Be here all the earlier next morning."

The clerk promised that he would; and Scrooge walked out with a growl.

[Meggan]

I've found that the Protestant churches in town cancel Sunday services when the weather gets too bad. Actually, they cancel if the weather gets even just a little bit bad.
The Catholic Churches never cancel Mass. My parish had both Sunday Masses on the day of the historic ice storm (Lexington, KY) a few years ago. Even stores were closed that day.

[c matt]

Then comes the Sabbath (Latin Sabbato)

Interesting that in Spanish, Saturday is Sabado which seems to be derived from Sabbath. Likewise, Sunday is Domingo, which seems a derivative of Domine which is some latin form for God or "of God," isn't it?

So while the more "Catholic" cultures retained more biblical names for the days of the week (at least for those two), Anglo cultures (remember them, the ones that are supposedly more "bible based" in their Christianity?), turned to pagan names for the sun and planets for these two days.

[c matt]

As for the cancelling of services on Sunday, Christmas, what have you - from a Protestant perspective, it kind of makes sense. Without the Real Presence, its all just symbolic anyway, so why bother? A little family time prayer at home with maybe few friends, recognition (theologically) of the importance of the day, and you are good to go!

[craig]

As noted above, Sunday in Russian is "resurrection" (воскресение). Saturday is "sabbath" (cуббота).

[(Fr) Septimus]

I can confirm the trend away from Mass on Christmas Day.

My parish, and the sister parish 1/2 mile away, have simultaneous 6 PM Vigil Masses. Packed, I'm told (I just got here). The other parish has an 8 PM; we have a Midnight. Each has two on Sunday morning.

In years to come, I expect to be sole pastor of both, and may not have much (or any) help; obviously, this schedule will be cut; and unless I receive a special grace, can't have two Masses simultaneously!

I dread the next move; because the earlier Mass will be the "zoo Mass"; and I think the pressure will be on, at the point, to drop a Mass on the day, rather than an eve Mass.

I predict that if this trend continues, it won't be long before someone suggests a morning Mass on the 24th. Then, someone will say, "let's have a Mass the night before" -- meaning on the 23rd. Wait for it.

[Maureen]

Zhou --
Nonsense. The Liturgy of the Hours is full of memorials and feastdays and holy days. And I know I'm not hallucinating that, because that's part of why they have all those elaborate charts about which readings to use. (And they had 'em back in medieval Books of Hours, too.)

C Matt --
They have pagan weekday names in Spanish, too, and they got 'em from Latin. The Romans got 'em from the Babylonians. They're not really named for gods so much as the planets (which bore the names of the gods, yes). The only ones that changed are "sabado" and "domingo". The Saxons followed the prevailing customs and eventually brought their weekday names to England.

However, Christian Saxons and English folk did call Sunday "the Lord's day". (Though the pun on "son" and the "Sun of Justice" was also pretty obvious.) They just didn't call Saturday "the Sabbath", because by that point, Christians were calling Sunday "the Sabbath".

http://www.domesticat.net/misc/monthsdays.php
A good comparative chart of month and weekday names in various languages.

[Maureen]

Notice that Ukrainian and Russian take their cue from Greek, with the weekday names mostly just being numbers, except for the Sabbath and the Lord's Day.

[ange]

In my family, Christmas Eve mass was a tradition handed down from the German side. Apparently one fasted all day on Christmas eve and then after a small dinner opened gifts and went to Midnight mass. Afterwards they would go home to a huge breakfast and then sleep in the next day. Christmas Day was spent eating and rejoicing.

There is a charm to Midnight Mass for me. Usually there is a religious music concert first and the dark church lit with Christmas lights is gorgeous. I also very much enjoy the Easter Sunday vigil masses. I guess for some Christmas eve mass is an experience.

[William]

Of course, they wouldn't have service on Christmas Day, not even their regular Sunday Service. "Everybody is tired of Christmas." "Christmas is over."

[Old Zhou]

From Christianity Today's Leadership Journal, Feb 7, 2005:

No Church on Sunday: In much of northern New England, the snow piled high on Saturday night a couple of weeks ago, and the TV stations listed the names of countless churches that closed their doors for the Lord's day. What startled me was how restorative a morning it was to have a time of prayer and Bible reading with my wife, a chance to listen to quiet (and I mean quiet) worshipful music, and to stay in my bathrobe until noon. I actually rested!

Pastor and author Gordon MacDonald also serves as chair of World Relief and editor at large for Leadership.

This is, indeed, rather different from a Catholic perspective (although I bet some Catholic might find it appealing).

I agree with cmatt that The Eucharist is missing from Protestant Sunday worship, leaving something like The Liturgy of the Word with a very long sermon. So why not skip it if folks are busy, or the weather is bad, or family is visiting, or the fish are jumping? Because Protestant churches don't have the hand tool of the Catholics called "obligation" ("Go to Church or Go to Hell--you choose."), for hundreds of years there has been a struggle to get folks to "present their bodies" along the lines of Romans 12:1-2.

On the other hand, private and family prayer and reading at home should go along with participation in Mass at church. From Familiaris Consortio, n. 61:

Liturgical Prayer and Private Prayer

There exists a deep and vital bond between the prayer of the Church and the prayer of the individual faithful, as has been clearly reaffirmed by the Second Vatican Council. An important purpose of the prayer of the domestic Church is to serve as the natural introduction for the children to the liturgical prayer of the whole Church, both in the sense of preparing for it and of extending it into personal, family and social life. Hence the need for gradual participation by all the members of the Christian family in the celebration of the Eucharist, especially on Sundays and feast days, and of the other sacraments, particularly the sacraments of Christian initiation of the children. The directives of the Council opened up a new possibility for the Christian family when it listed the family among those groups to whom it recommends the recitation of the Divine Office in common. Likewise, the Christian family will strive to celebrate at home, and in a way suited to the members, the times and feasts of the liturgical year.

As preparation for the worship celebrated in church, and as its prolongation in the home, the Christian family makes use of private prayer, which presents a great variety of forms. While this variety testifies to the extraordinary richness with which the Spirit vivifies Christian prayer, it serves also to meet the various needs and life situations of those who turn to the Lord in prayer. Apart from morning and evening prayers, certain forms of prayer are to be expressly encouraged, following the indications of the Synod Fathers, such as reading and meditating on the word of God, preparation for the reception of the sacraments, devotion and consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the various forms of veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grace before and after meals, and observance of popular devotions.

"A little family prayer time at home" is no less important than getting the family to "present their bodies" at Mass. It is deficient to have either one without the other.

[Leo]

This is slightly off topic, but much of what has been written above reinforces my preference for Christmas morning Mass rather than Christmas Vigil Mass. The hordes, the inattentiveness, the absence of devoutness, and the lack of familiarity with the liturgy detract from a prayerful experience.

[Old Zhou]

Hi Maureen,

I'm certainly guilty of writing nonsense at times, but I'm afraid that I'm too dense to figure you what you are "Nonsense!"-ing me about.

Perhaps when I said, "This is very prominent in the Liturgy of the Hours (a.k.a. Divine Office), which is still largely a weekly liturgical cycle."??

The Psalter, the heart of the Liturgy of the Hours, is a Weekly cycle (per Rule of Benedict, Psalterium Monasticum, Benedictine Daily Prayer, etc.), although it can be stretched to two or four weeks. But even in the two and four week Psalters, there are common Psalms on certain days of the weeks.

The readings and hymns vary greatly according to the Season or Saints, but the heart of the Office, the Psalter, is basically a weekly cycle.

If you have the 4-volume English "Liturgy of the Hours," you will notice that especially during the Daytime Prayer (midmorning, middday, midafternoon) there are references to the Lord's passion every Friday (at least during Ordinary Time; I don't recall the other times). And usually references to the Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday; and references to Resurrection (such as the reading of the Resurrection Gospel each Sunday in Appendix I) on Sundays. You do use Appendix I with the Office of Readings on Sunday's, right? Resurrection Gospel reading every Sunday before Te Deum.

[paul]

Oddly enough, it's gotten so bad at my old parish in Queens that the pews are not even filled on Christmas Day - which is actually heartening because at least then people aren't being as hypocritical (couldn't come up with a less harsh word).

I think this question has been answered:
"If our priest married, would we have to cancel Christmas Mass because they wanted to stay home with the kids and open presents?" Well, my ex-girlfriend's father is a Lutheran pastor, and I spent two Christmases with the family, and they never did that. I believe he split the other services with the other (married) pastor. But they also had far less than 7,000 worshippers to cater to.

[paul]

Well the psalter is constant, but there are unique readings and responses for solemnities and for the weeks leading up to Easter and Christmas, as well as for commemorations for the saints. I think that's what Maureen is getting at.

[laura Peter]

As a parent of (well not quite so young anymore, 10 and 14)) children I'm going to defend the Christmas Vigil Mass, especially those dedicated to the children of the parish. On Christmas eve, the children are full of anticipation and rapt attention to the story of Christ's birth. The buzz in the church is palpable. The early evening Mass gives families an opportunity to in many ways participate more fully and joyously in the Eucharistic celebration of Christmas. We have gone to Mass from time to time on Christmas morning, but it has rarely had the same effect.

[Ellyn]

So....I'm driving home from work today and I get this scathingly brilliant idea. We're worried about where to seat, park etc. at all the Masses at our parish. We are having Mass in the Church, the gym and high school auditorium. So...if we were just a little closer to Willow Creek, perhaps we could rent their facilities? Just an idea...

[Mary Kay]

This thread about churches being closed on Christmas has certainly been an eye opener for me.

When I was a kid, being allowed to stay up for Midnight Mass was something to be excited about.

[Jon W]

Yeah, wait a sec. Are we arguing that the Christmas Eve mass is somehow less "authentic" or something than a Christmas Day mass? I dunno.

1. Liturgically, it's entirely fine. Sundown to sundown and all that.

2. I'm going to second what Laura Peter points out about Christmas Eve being a time of full anticipation and rapt attention to the story of Christ's birth.

Besides, all our popular images, songs, and folk tales have Christ being born "when half-spent was the night" and "while shepherds watched their flocks by night", etc, etc, etc. (It is also the one time of the year, exactly at midnight, when animals can talk.) Christmas Eve (esp. a midnight mass) is a really good time for reflecting on this and what it all means. The distractions of parties, presents, and stockings are far away; and the dim light, the venturing out into the cold, and the odd time for church put one into a contemplative mood.

I'm not saying Christmas Day isn't an excellent time to celebrate a nativity mass. I'm just sayin' don' knock Christmas Eve, yo.

[Fr. Totton]

Let me echo Mary Kay's thought - when I was a kid, being allowed to stay up for Midnight Mass was something to be excited about! To this day I can still smell the incense commingled with the abundant fragrance of beeswax, I can still hear the priest chanting the collect and the preface (the only time we ever heard that)

I also resonate with what the other priests, and many others here, have written here, I too lament the disappearance of Mass on Christmas Day. As I understand it, the Christmas vigil Mass (understand I am talking about early evening Christmas Eve) was originally established to handle the overcrowding at the other Masses. I do not pretend to know why this Mass is so wildly popular - some say it clears the clock and allows families to get Mass out of the way so they can get on with the important business of celebrating Christmas! But as soon as the regular Christmas Masses ("Mass at Midnight", "Mass at Dawn" and "Mass during the Day") begin declining in attendance, to the point where the church is not even half full, then I would say it is time to re-evaluate our needs! A parish at which nobody attends the Christmas Day Masses has No need of the vigil Mass. I am in the camp of those who feel that this aberration tends toward allowing the secular culture to set the schedule for Christmas, I think we are called to provide an example, even a countercultural one to those around us.

My parish (of 200 families) has three Masses on Christmas Eve this year 6:00 vigil, 9:00 "Midnight Mass" and 11:00 "Midnight Mass" in Spanish. We then have one Christmas morning Mass at 9:00am. This was all in place before I got here (except the Spanish Mass). If, indeed, the church is not near full on Christmas morning then the vigil Mass will have to go.

[Joanne]

How interesting about Southland in Lexington. I've been in touch recently with a woman at Southland - Jani Lewis - who has started an outreach to women who work in local strip clubs. I have immense admiration for the work Jani and other evangelicals are doing in this type of ministry, and quite honestly, am kind of ashamed that a grand total of ONE Catholic diocese in the US that I'm aware of (Phoenix) does outreach to women in prostitution.

I agree that it's odd that Southland would be closed on Christmas, but the people there are doing prolife work that Catholics by and large are not.

[Mark P.]

"60-80 people show up for the Noon Mass on Christmas day (in a church that seated 500), my pastor dropped the Noon Mass altogether."

We do a full orchestral Mass on Christmas Day at Noon. Huge crowds--sometimes outdrawing the Midnight Mass. Our director of music was previously at an Episcopal church and produced a full choir on Christmas Day. Voila! A full church.

[Fr. Brian Stanley]

Here in Coldwater, I'm keeping the regular Sunday schedule, and adding Midnight Mass. And yes, Midnight Mass is at midnight. So don't call the rectory and ask "When is Midnight Mass?" Some of the neighboring parishes have Midnight Mass at 10 p.m., or earlier! They can set their own schedules -- it's a free country -- but I wish they wouldn't call those earlier Masses "Midnight Masses."

[William]

Christmas morning "Childrens' Mass" has become very popular in my parish. Seems there's more to Christmas than Santa Claus and tearing open packages.

[Rod Dreher]

Had to weigh in on this thread by telling you that here in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, I'm at a media conference at a big resort ... and they have put Christmas trees up all over the place. It's the most bizarre thing to watch abaya-and-hijab-clad Saudis and Emiratis strolling through the souk past Christmas trees (which don't have any Christian symbols on them, but otherwise look like the kind of thing you'd see in any US shopping mall). Weirdness.

[Maureen]

Zhou --
Sorry for the overwrought rhetoric.

Everybody --
We have a "children's Mass" vigil on Christmas Eve, IIRC at 4:30 or 6 PM or something. It's held in the gym, which I would probably not have liked as a kid. (I mean, why should I give up the real Christmas atmosphere for the company of other kids?) But this is pushed bigtime on the parochial school kids, as they get to participate in various aspects of this Mass.

I suspect this is also done at some other parishes, which would tend to establish the early vigil Mass as the go-to Mass for many families. (You can't not go if your kid's singing in the kids' choir or bringing up the gifts.)

Midnight Mass at my parish is preceded by a sort of informal carol service, which passes the time for folks who get their seats early. Which is fine and definitely reduces the loud talking in church, but probably also increases the number of people who come to Midnight Mass. (Back in the old days, we just had to tough the wait out.) The choir also has to be careful not to use themselves up before Mass starts.

I haven't been to Mass at my new parish on Christmas Day for ages, mostly because I go home with my parents right after Midnight Mass is over. There are a few stalwart souls in choir who live close to church who actually get up the next day, and a few who skip Midnight Mass but help out in the morning. But I'm done with my obligation.

I will say this, though; there's a wonderful grandeur to a Mass on Christmas Day.

My old parish was always packed on Christmas morning, but then, we didn't have any vigil Masses before midnight. :)

[Peg]

In my family, Christmas Eve mass was a tradition handed down from the German side. Apparently one fasted all day on Christmas eve and then after a small dinner opened gifts and went to Midnight mass. Afterwards they would go home to a huge breakfast and then sleep in the next day. Christmas Day was spent eating and rejoicing.

Ange, exactly my experience. It was the only time of year I remember her putting Worcester
sauce on the table for the sausage and eggs. It's funny/odd just what stands out in our memories. Good ones for me.

[Peg]

By "her", I meant my mother of course. Sorry, Mom.

[cw]

Peg,
My family had the same tradition and they are a mixture of German and Czech. When I married my husband and he told me that they used to wait to open presents until after Mass and breakfast and that sometimes (not all the time) this meant 11am Mass, I was amazed and impressed. What a statement that makes, "We put Christ first on Christmas!" I am also a realist though and I know that you can't wait that long when you have small children, so for us to keep the same tradition it has meant going to a vigil Mass. My gripe though is why can't we have more options? We would prefer to get up Christmas Day and attend a 7:30 am Mass (which we do most Sundays) and then head back for presents and festivities. That is not possible when most parishes cancel their early morning Mass.

The local parish which is HUGE (400-500 in attendance at the smallest Mass) has posted it's schedule.
Christmas Eve 3,5,7,9, and 11pm
Christmas Day 9 & 11

We were hoping they would keep their regular Sunday Mass schedule and maybe just add a few others. Their regular schedule follows:

Saturday: 4 and 5:30pm
Sunday: 7:30, 9, 11am and 5pm

Incidentally, this parish is run by a priest who was an Anglican priest who converted. He is a married priest with young children still at home. He gave an interview in which he said that if he were made Pope tomorrow, he can't say that he would do away with priestly celibacy. He feels like a bigamist who has to juggle both worlds. Interesting.

[Rich Leonardi]

I'm a little late to the party here. Last year Cincinnati was slammed with a thirty-year blizzard just before and through Christmas. I remember dodging ice-encrusted snow drifts on our way to the Christmas Eve vigil Mass. The local evangelical community told everyone to stay home on Christmas, with their anything-for-a-pull-quote local minister stating "There's more to life than church."

[Peggy]

One sister went evangelical in the early 80s. Last time we were home (at my family's in '03 I think) for Christmas, it was snowing heavily all Christmas Eve. Her Methodist church (which housed pub kindergarten when I was little) cancelled. SHe didn't think much about it at all. My husband & I fared forth for a faux 10pm Midnight mass at the Cathedral celebrated by then Bp. Gregory. Mom might attend at times. My sisters might go to Christmas Eve services in which their children are taking part at their parishes. I am sitting here realizing I have no recollection of us attended Christmas Mass as a family. My earliest recollection is of participating in 7-8th grade school choir for Midnight Mass. Some one just dropped me off, I think. We celebrated Christmas Eve at our home, opening presents, then relatives come. It is a late night with all the excitement and anticipation. I truly enjoy midnight mass. Our parish's midnight mass is beautiful as well. We get to celebrate Christmas on the first minute of that great feast day! Ten we sleep in and enjoy leftovers and toys in the early part of the day, then go to mom's parents in the afternoon/evening. (and get more presents!)

Last year was our first year with children. We nixed midnight mass and attended Christmas Day mass, which was tough (w/2 toddlers, I mean) b/c we had to attend Sunday mass the next day as well. I was worried about tearing the boys away from their toys. Hey, we made it! Get to do it again. The mass was crowded as was a Christmas Day Mass in Pittsburgh we attended our first year of marriage in 2000.

[Steve Cavanaugh]

I too would defend the vigil Masses on Christmas Eve, especially families with young children who may be visiting family on Christmas day as well as the morning. But like Zhou, I think that some prayer, preferably from the Liturgy of the Hours, would be very appropriate.

As for the Church's mind on this, there are four official Masses in the Graduale Romanum and Missal: the Vigil, the Mass at Midnight, the Mass at Dawn and the Mass during the Day. All have their own (quite lovely) chants.

In years past I would usually bring my children to the vigil Mass, along with various family members, who would then return to my house for feasting. I would often then go to midnight Mass (and morning Mass) to cantor. I'd have preferred Midnight Mass with the family, but the kids don't always stay awake through the 90-100 minutes; not much point of going to Church to sleep.

[Sandra Miesel]

Question: how many parishes are actually still doing the three distinct Mass propers? The ones here use the Midnight Mass readings throughout because, I suppose, people want to hear the familiar passage from St. Luke.

[Liam]

Sandra

It fries me when I go to the Mass During The Day to hear the Prologue to the Gospel of John and they substitute the Midnight Mass reading.

Also, growing up going to the Mass at Dawn, there was a kind of perverse delight in the brevity of that Gospel that we grew to enjoy.

I think most famous recitation of the passage from Luke -- by Linus the Great -- has had a tremendous effect on popular culture. Since I can recall seing the first CHarlie Brown Christmas in 1965 (the debut of the prior Christmas season -- Rudolph -- is not something I recall, as I was just three going on four), I suspect it took a few years for the impact to be felt on expectations in the pews.

[Liam]

Sometimes, when I hear Luke's narrative, I expect the congregation to break into "MERRY CHRISTMAS, CHARLIE BROWN!" and Hark! The Herald yadayadayada.

[Gene H]

I was raised in the Methodist church in the South, and we always had a Christmas Eve midnight service, but no church service on Christmas day unless it was a Sunday. Sunday services were only cancelled for severely inclement weather.

Coincidentally, at lunch yesterday I was talking with co-workers who attend two different Churches of Christ, and they said that both Churches had cancelled Christmas Sunday services, apparently because of the pagan connection with Christmas. The reasoning was that they celebrate the incarnation (and resurrection) every day.

Of course, I invited them to one of our masses, which are 4:00, 6:00, and midnight on Christmas Eve, and 9:00 Christmas morning.

[Maureen]

This whole thing makes my heart bleed for the Christmas/Easter attendees, the unchurched, and those away from home. If you struggle out of bed Christmas morning (or just Sunday morning, if you don't celebrate Christmas) -- if you drive allllll the way out on the highway to the middle of nowhere to one of those megachurches, and then see nothing but an empty parking lot and a sign telling you that all the Christmas services took place yesterday... how lonely is that? How unwanted would you feel?

As unwanted as Jesus on His own birthday, I guess.

[Jaz]

Old Zhou mentioned some Puritan history. Puritan practices are not normative for America. I'm a Virginia Cavalier (_not_ UVA), phooey on the Puritans!

My 10-year-old daughter watched the American Girl movie "Felicity". Note how it was set in Virginia so they could show some Christmas celebration with gusto.

[Liam]

Maureen

Exactly. Some parishes need real hospitality ministries....

Jaz

I am a Cavalier of the other kind (The University and all that). I always found Charlottesville religion so different from the Northeast. In a pleasant kind of way. The Catholics were low church liberals, the Episcopalians were multi-flavored between high church Anglican, Anglo-Catholics and sturdy low-church types, the Presbyterians were still fairly Calvinistic, and the Methodists and Babdists duked it out for the rest.

[Elaine]

We have two masses on Christmas Eve, one in the church which is sung by the children's choir and one in our hall for overflow. On Christmas Day we have four masses. I can't imagine Christmas without mass.

[Joseph D'Hippolito]

What's going on here is a redefinition of Christmas as a time of family celebration...There is a risk that we will lose one more of our Christian rituals, one that's at the heart of our faith.

Amy, that's already happened with Thanksgiving, and has been happening for quite some time. Thanksgiving had a specifically Christian message (and, please, no nasty comments about those "heretical" Puritans) that national leaders (Washington, Lincoln, FDR) recognized for centuries. Now, Thanksgiving is essentially nothing but a prelude to Christmas (just look at the plethora of TV commercials advertising sales starting a 5 a.m.). This is terribly wrong.

[Liam]

Joe

Well, here in New England, we can be sure there are rock-ribbed Republican types (a type not made any more, but I digress) who were alive when FDR committed the heresy of moving Thanksgiving from its hallowed date to the current, more sales-friendly, date.

But I doubt any one's alive who remembers Fast Day, the Yankee springtime counterpart to Thanksgiving Day. Massachusetts abolished its Fast Day in the 1890s.

But, up in the North Country, there is still a penetential season every April. It just goes by the name of Mud Season, the fifth season of the year, wherein cars are swallowed in the thawing muck.

[Adolfo Rodriguez]

It's been very interesting reading all of these posts. Here at my local parish (St. Peter), every Christmas Day Mass is packed!

[Mary Kay]

If it's not too late to add to this thread, I have to agree with Sandra and Liam. I very much miss that John's Prologue simply isn't read, even though it is the scheduled reading at least twice during the Christmas season.

[Audra]

I'm shocked reading this! I can't even imagine not having mass on Christmas! If you are to busy to celebrate Christ the Kings birthday, you need to take a good hard look at your life. Very sad. These churches will be the first in line to have 666 marked on themselves like it talks about in Revelations.
Please re think this, you are making a terrible mistake! God Bless

[Andrew]

My non-denominated, evangelical church has a Christmas Eve vigil.

But holding or not holding services on Christmas certainly doesn't seem like a way for a church to become apostate!