Midnight Services for Christmas

[monkeyboy]

Who attends and what do you do after? Go home and pass out?

 

[Magic Mom]

yes and yes

I love midnight Mass.

 

[Rora]

I haven't been in so long (my bed time is like 9:30 ) but usually we would just go, and then come home, open one present, and go to bed!

 

[EdiePA]

Yes, we attend and usually take part in the service (bell choir or regular choir.) One of our family traditions is to come home from the service and have hot cocoa. We usually sit around in the kitchen and make it to bed around 3 AM. This was one of the traditions that came about after my ex-husband left. I was dreading Christmas that year, but it turned out to be a wonderful one.

Edie

 

[golfgal]

Our midnight service is at 10:00 . We usually go to that one and when we get home the kids go to bed, we play Santa, make Monkey Bread for Christmas morning and head to bed. Our kids have NEVER woken up early on Christmas morning. We are usually waking THEM up to open presents . Weird kids.

 

[monkeyboy]

make Monkey Bread

 

[browneyes106]

The last time I went to a midnight service was two years ago. I went alone and I was staying with my parents for Christmas. When I came home I wasn't tired at all and I watched movies till around 3 am. I know a couple of families that come home and open presents after midnight services.

 

[golfgal]

 

[sturdypeasantstock]

Family attends a gathering at my SILs, then Midnight Mass, where I sing with the choir. We hang out and chat a little, then head home. Everyone else goes to bed and I finish wrapping. Then I get up early the next morning to sing at Mass.

 

[eduk8r26]

We don't have Midnight Mass--it's at 10:30. We go, then come home and stay up till 3 wrapping presents we should have wrapped earlier.

 

[epcotprincess]

In years past we would go and then open 1 present (always new pajamas to wear that night) and pass out.

We won't be going this year because we have a baby now, and are having Christmas morning in our own home for the first time.

 

[luvavacation]

Being of European descent, here is what we do...

Big dinner around 7 or 8 p.m. Then we get ready for church, because in my culture, Jesus and the angels only deliver presents if we have been to church (St. Nicholas fills the boots on St. Nicholas Day, though in holding to tradition for my American husband, Santa does fill the stockings for Christmas morning).

We attend midnight candlelight service (love the candlelight services!), then come home and put on pajamas. Sometime during the pajama switch, a bell rings, and that is how we know that Jesus and His angels have arrived!

After a round of present opening and hot cocoa and music (thanks to the Ipod!), we head off to bed. Usually around 2 a.m. Not all of the presents are opened some years, because sometimes we are just too tired!

We didn't go one year to the candlight service, and I have to say the Christmas "feeling" was not the same. Something about the candles, and reverent voices singing, and the church bells ringing, just adds to the whole Christmas experience for me!

 

[Kae]

Our church has a "Kids" /family service at 6. then we go have Christmas with my side of the family. When the kids were babies my mom would watch them so my sisters & I could go back at midnight. I the one thing I miss at the 6 service is they don't have the bell choir.

Kae

 

[marcyinPA]

Our church has five services on Christmas Eve. A family service at 4 pm, and then four more services: 6:30, 7:30 (this one is contemporary and in the gym), 9:30, and 11 pm.

My youngest DS is in the middle school choir, and they sing at the 4 pm service, and my oldest DS is in the high school choir, and they sing at 6:30 pm. We will be attending both, and afterwards we have reservations for dinner at the Melting Pot with our best friends. We've never gone out for dinner before, but we've also never been at church for two services before. There was no way I could cook a meal!