Introduction
Christmas is a season not a day. In fact it is twelve days. The Christ Mass (a Twelfth Century English term) was probably first celebrated in Rome about 300 AD. The traditional 12 days of Christmas run from Christmas Day (December 25) until the feast of Epiphany on 6 January.
Symbols, Colours, Music, Images, Ritual Actions, Miscellaneous Ideas
Colour: White or Gold – the colour of rejoicing or purity.
We haven’t had a Christmas Day service for quite a few years. We stopped it when we realised the congregation was mostly visitors and unpredictable small numbers. At that time we had very few children, and I think Christmas Day services are sad without a good number of excited children present. We replaced it with a Christmas Eve service, an invitation to bring bedding and sleep over in the auditorium, and a breakfast at 8 am. This has worked very well for us. I tried to do some kind of brief ritual using responsive readings at the first breakfast, but gave up in favour of just being and eating together. By 9.30 am we have all gone off to our respective Christmas Days. We don’t have services again until late January but do meet for picnics on the Sundays in the New Zealand summer (see Section 5: Curators Notes for sample Running Orders for Christmas Eve services).
Some churches use a crib as a visual symbol and focus for private prayer in the Christmas period. This can be integrated liturgically into services.
Lighting of the Christ Candle at the centre of the Advent wreath can be surrounded by a liturgy similar to those used for advent lighting – readings, songs, prayers.
Midnight or late night services are useful to pick up on symbolism of the dark of night into which Jesus, the light of the world, comes.
With Christmas carols it is always important to check that the language and the symbolism of these don’t contradict other messages that the service might want to bring out. Many of them reflect a sensibility that is of a particular English culture and time, rather than relating to the biblical story. (For instance there is no biblical evidence for ‘We Three Kings…’)
Birthday imagery (cakes, candles, party) can be useful particularly in a congregation with lots of children to create a sense of celebration.
The Twelve Days of Christmas:
Some of these days have particular traditional significance:
Dec 26: Stephen, the First Christian Martyr (see Acts 6 and 7). The Feast of Stephen is when ‘Good King Wenceslaus’ looked out, according to the carol.
Dec 27: John, the Evangelist.
Dec 28: Holy Innocents – remembering the massacre initiated by Herod of all the boys under two in Bethlehem and its vicinity (see Matthew’s gospel).
Dec 31: New Year’s Eve.
Jan 1: New Year’s Day, Feast of Circumcision – focuses on the Story of Abraham (Gen 12-25) – thinking about what marks out the people of God.
Texts, Prayers, Readings,
For Lectionary texts consult your lectionary or www.textweek.com
Some thematic focus points: The birth of Jesus, the Word made Flesh, the Universal Love of God, the Saving work of God in Christ.
Curators Notes for Christmas Services
See section 5: Curators Notes