Knowra Christmas Eve Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or full day before Christmas Day, observed on December 24 in many Christian traditions. Customs range from worship services and feasts to gift-giving and family gatherings.
Midnight Mass : A Christian worship service held late on Christmas Eve or near midnight to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Many churches mark the transition from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day with this service.
Las Posadas : A Mexican and Central American Christmas observance reenacting Mary and Joseph's search for lodging. Its processions and gatherings often culminate on Christmas Eve.
Christmas : A Christian festival commemorating the birth of Jesus, celebrated on December 25 by many churches. Christmas Eve takes its date and much of its religious meaning from this feast.
Christmas Day : The Christian feast commemorating Jesus's birth, observed on December 25 by many churches. It is the feast day that Christmas Eve precedes.
Nativity of Jesus : The Christian account of Jesus's birth in Bethlehem, recounted in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The birth of Jesus is the religious event at the center of Christmas Eve observances.
Wigilia : The traditional Polish Christmas Eve supper, commonly beginning after the first star appears. This meal makes Christmas Eve the focal point of Christmas celebrations in Poland.
Christmas liturgy : The prayers, readings, and services used by Christian churches to celebrate Christmas. Eve services developed as part of the church's cycle of Christmas worship.
Orthodox Christmas : The celebration of Christmas by churches whose liturgical calendars place it on January 7 in the Gregorian calendar. For these communities, the corresponding eve falls on January 6, not December 24.
Christmas carol : A song associated with Christmas, often celebrating Jesus's birth or seasonal customs. Caroling is a longstanding Christmas Eve practice in many communities.
Réveillon : A festive meal held late on Christmas Eve or after a midnight religious service, especially in French-influenced cultures. The late-night feast is a signature Christmas Eve custom in several regions.
Show all 22