Roman Catholics go and celebrate mass on Christmas Eve or Christmas day. The Christmas eve mass is called the vigil mass. Many people liked going on Christmas day morning, as this was significant of Christmas and it felt special. There is a midnight mass which adults tend to go to.
At the Christmas day service there are many carols sung a special one, which people sing to Jesus, is
‘Away in a Manager’
“ Away in a manager, no crib for a bed,
The little lord Jesus lay down his sweet head
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay
The little lord Jesus a sleep on the hay”
“The cattle are lowing the baby awakes,
But little lord Jesus no crying he makes
I ask thee lord Jesus I ask thee to stay
Close by me forever and love me I pray”
This is a type of carol, which they would sing. Carols are important as we are rejoicing that Christ has been born, they also represent a sign of community as everyone sings together. Carols are also important at Christmas, as they are a sign of prayer and worship to Christ.
Appropriate readings are also read from Matthew and Luke according to what happened at Christmas.
On Christmas day the Roman Catholics exchange gifts. This symbolises the wise men giving gifts to Jesus and Jesus repaying them by being their king of the Jews. The most remembered time at Christmas is when the Roman Catholic's receive Jesus’ body and blood. This is extra special on Christmas day.
The first Christian narrative was when the angel Gabriel visits Mary and tells her that she is going to have the baby of the Son of God this is called “The Immaculate Conception.”
The Quakers or Society of Friends celebrate Christmas different to Roman Catholics. They believe that the divinity of Christ should be remembered at all times not just at religious festivals. They do not celebrate festivals as much as other denominations. Quakers focus on charity work, however, at one special festival, which is Christmas.
There is a meeting on Christmas day in their Meeting House. This is a hall with a few chairs. They will sit in a square around a table in the centre of the room in silence. Maybe one or two people will stand say a reading or poem relevant to Christmas. It takes normal structure of a mass. Silence lets the spirit work in themselves it’s a way of becoming conscious of God and coming closer to him in your life.