Have/Do any of you attend Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve?

[AGXStarseed]

Apologies if I'm asking this too early for your liking, although considering we've got weeks left until excited kids start forcing themselves asleep out of fear Santa won't bring their presents, I thought I'd ask.

I should point out from the get-go that I consider myself more of a general spiritual believer rather than someone who is 'latched' onto a religion or one of its many branches. When it comes to Christmas time, though, I've started getting curious about it.
I don't know what happens on Midnight Mass but after seeing scenes involving the church at Christmas in movies and TV shows (such as Kevin going into the Church in Home Alone when the choir are singing O Holy Night), part of me is tempted to actually attend one to see what it is like.

I was originally going to do this back in 2019 but didn't as I wasn't feeling too good. As for 2020, you-know-what happened so that was a no-go. Now December 2021 is rolling around, I'm 'um'ing and 'ah'ing about whether I should go or not.
For those of you who have attended/do attend, can you tell me what happens during the mass so I can make my mind up as to whether to go or not. I've tried googling but all I'm getting at the moment is page after page about a Netflix show with the same name.

Any and all information is much appreciated.
Thank you for your time.

 

[Streetwise]

Depends on the sect of Christianity

 

[AGXStarseed]

Depends on the sect of Christianity

The place near me is a Methodist Church, if that helps.

 

[Bolletje]

I have attended it once, when I was a kid. My parents were raised Catholic but they’re not practicing and I wasn’t raised with religion. My mom used to love the midnight mass and she wanted me to experience it as well. It didn’t do much for me, to be honest, but it was great to see my mom enjoy it.

 

[watersprite]

I used to get taken out of bed & driven to Catholic midnight Christmas Mass. Once there, I enjoyed it for the singing. Done with skill and a good music director, the songs still give me a frisson of pleasure.

I never accepted the (non)fact that I was Catholic though my parents said I was, over & over again.

This is one of my favorite versions of Silent Night.

 

[Magna]

Usually a Catholic church is decorated for the occasion on the inside and very often it's impressive. I know for Easter Vigils, they usually start out the church being dark after everyone is seated and each person holds a candle, passing the flame from one person to the next. I think they might do the same on Christmas? Lots of singing of Christmas related hymns. Usually a church is packed full to the rafters. There are many "holiday Catholics" who only attend church 2-3 times per year (Christmas, Easter and Ash Wednesday).

Have I liked going to such services? Church in general is stressful for me because of my sensory sensitivities (namely smell and sound) so I've never had an overwhelmingly positive experience.

You should go if you feel inclined to do so though. It may be an experience that you'd find very enjoyable and worthwhile.

 

[Streetwise]

In a c of e church, there are no prayers about the human Miriam(Mary), there is the entrance, there will be a small very plain nativity scene, a pine tree decorated with baubles, then carols, varying between once in royal David's city to away in a manger ,then each person is given an unlit candle, then each person lights the next persons candle from each row ,another carol could be o come o come Emmanuel or hark the herald Angels sing, after that a reading of the nativity from Matthew or John, possibly another carol either in the bleak mid winter or good king Wenceslas or God rest ye merry gentlemen, the Methodist church I imagine is much the same, except there is not a place to light a candle in memory of someone for varied reasons,it's very peaceful and lovely when I was with my mam as I treasured the time we had that wasn't about the stressful things that happened everyday and she loved to sing carols she loved! Christmas.

 

[Streetwise]

Apologies if I'm asking this too early for your liking, although considering we've got weeks left until excited kids start forcing themselves asleep out of fear Santa won't bring their presents, I thought I'd ask.

I should point out from the get-go that I consider myself more of a general spiritual believer rather than someone who is 'latched' onto a religion or one of its many branches. When it comes to Christmas time, though, I've started getting curious about it.
I don't know what happens on Midnight Mass but after seeing scenes involving the church at Christmas in movies and TV shows (such as Kevin going into the Church in Home Alone when the choir are singing O Holy Night), part of me is tempted to actually attend one to see what it is like.

I was originally going to do this back in 2019 but didn't as I wasn't feeling too good. As for 2020, you-know-what happened so that was a no-go. Now December 2021 is rolling around, I'm 'um'ing and 'ah'ing about whether I should go or not.
For those of you who have attended/do attend, can you tell me what happens during the mass so I can make my mind up as to whether to go or not. I've tried googling but all I'm getting at the moment is page after page about a Netflix show with the same name.

Any and all information is much appreciated.
Thank you for your time.

No JHVH is outside of time, he is eternal, in Judaism there is a word moed (it means appointed time) this is your appointed time to ask, like in the old testament ,when it says to everything there is a season !and a time for every purpose under heaven.

 

[Luca]

I used to get taken out of bed & driven to Catholic midnight Christmas Mass. Once there, I enjoyed it for the singing. Done with skill and a good music director, the songs still give me a frisson of pleasure.

I never accepted the (non)fact that I was Catholic though my parents said I was, over & over again.

This is one of my favorite versions of Silent Night.

Silent Night is my favorite Christmas song
@AGXStarseed I usually go to 10pm mass on Christmas Eve.

 

[Meistersinger]

For 37 years, the church where I a paid soloist (and later, a member)did the service of 9 lessons and carols that was performed at King’s College Cambridge, starting at:10:30 PM and lasting through midnight. I left that congregation back in 2015, partly after the senior pastor fired the music director at the time, and partly because I had serious issues with the direction the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America was taking (especially for this former Baptist.)

unfortunately, the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod congregation I joined don’t have much of a music program. (I’m the only male in the choir, plus the choir has been performing “praise band” charts, which drives me crazy (Considering I’m a traditionalist and a dinosaur, with a BA in music history.)

 

[Streetwise]

I imagine each churches pastor or vicar will have music written by people from all centuries right up until this year and I'm sure Yeshua (anglicised form Jesus)is happy music is still living and hasn't died in the 19 century

 

[ucrenegade]

If you don't follow the bible but man then yes Christmas is for you but those truly following the bible understand that Christmas is a abomination to God.

 

[Magna]

It's been a few years since I've attended a Midnight Mass, but I gotta say, after watching the Netflix series of the same name, I'd be half worried they'd lock the congregants inside.

 

[Judge]

Occasionally attended Midnight Mass with my parents until the age of 15 when I opted to leave the church.

But that was a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

 

[RobZombiefan]

If my state doesn't go back into lockdown, I'll be going! I've attended mass on Christmas eve before, and it is a pleasant atmosphere!

 

[Mary Terry]

I was raised as a Protestant, the Presbyterian Church in particular. Presbyterian churches are austere, devoid of decorations, stained glass, religious images such as crosses or crucifixes, incense, candles, flashy attire for ministers and the choir, shaking hands with strangers during the service, etc. It is a plain austerity with antecedents in Scotland.

For that very reason, I love to attend midnight mass at Catholic churches on Christmas Eve, and I light candles for my loved ones. The mass is pageantry and provides something I need and like when contemplating religion. I would never partake of communion, confession, or other aspects of that religion but I love attending Christmas midnight mass, especially in Mexico. It feels restful and hopeful to my soul.

On the other hand, my husband was raised in the Episcopal church and does not share my enjoyment of midnight mass in Catholic churches. So... to each his own.....

 

[Gerontius]

I am Roman Catholic & it's my favorite part of the liturgical year. I'm going this Christmas if I can, whether at home with family or up here in Connecticut.

As Mary Terry mentions above, Catholics like a lot of little odds & ends in religion--the reason for that is not for God so much as for the people; it's a tangible way that people can express reverence. And the church offers ways for people to exercise all the love-languages with regard to God, be it quality time (meditation) or giving of gifts (decorating a church) or words (prayer in all its forms) or physical touch (well it is hard to touch God, and I'd think that would be a little disrespectful, but the rituals involve the whole body: stand, kneel, sit, and each posture represents something.)

Going to midnight Mass is taking part in a little bit of everything that's wonderful about being alive.