Christmas Eve Mass

Christmas is a festival that is enjoyable when you celebrate it with your family and friends. The Christian community believes that the church is made of its people. The participation of the whole family makes Christmas special and enjoyable. Christmas mass is the first thing to celebrate if you want to celebrate Christmas with its real meaning. However, Christmas Eve mass is essential to attend as it marks the beginning of Christmas season.

Christmas Eve is actually the day that comes before Christmas day. In most of the countries that follow the Gregorian calendar, this day falls on twenty forth of December while in countries that follow the Julian calendar this day usually follows on sixth of January. Christmas Eve is an important day for every Christian as it comes just before Christmas and holds importance in Christianity. As important the day is, so is the Christmas Eve mass.

Christmas Eve is an important day. This was the day when mother Mary and Joseph were searching for a place so that she could deliver the child. It was evening when they finally found a small stable for them to rest for the night as well deliver the child. Many people fast to express their sorrow about the trouble and labor pain that Mother Mary faced to give birth to the Messiah.

Christmas Eve is a special mass, which is not like the weekly Sunday mass. The Christmas mass celebrated in Vatican City is popular and people from all over the world come to attend this mass. The pope himself comes to celebrate the mass for Christmas Eve. Once during the Christmas Eve mass, there was a controversy when a woman attacked Pope Benedict the sixteen. This incident took place in 2009. The woman was later taken into custody and interrogated. She was found to be a psycho. Luckily, the Pope escaped without any injuries. He continued to celebrate the mass even after the attack so that visitors who come to attend the mass on this sacred day do not go home sad.

Many traditions and rituals are associated with Christmas Eve. Gifts are given on this day. People clean and decorate their houses on this day. The midnight mass of Christmas also begins at evening on Christmas Eve day. In some churches, you will find candle light services. In some countries, this day is celebrated with solemnity, advent wreaths are lit in the house and the family spends the night praying, singing carols and remembering God. In the Eastern Orthodox Churches, this day is of strict fasting for those who are physically fit. People sit before the alter in the church and pray all night. Christmas Eve services are much similar to the services celebrated on the Feast of Epiphany.

Christmas Eve mass is celebrated in a solemn way and the day is spent mostly in praying and singing carols like "Silent Night". For the next Christmas season, do not forget to attend this mass and celebrate Christmas.