Christmas Eve Midnight Mass

• According to theologians, the Midnight Mass evolved from individuals who made pilgrimages to Israel and the birthplace of Christ. According to Bible, Jesus was born at night and thus, a midnight mass is celebrated at midnight to commemorate Jesus's birth.
• A Christian liturgical rite, involving the sacrament of Eucharist, commences just before midnight and includes Biblical readings focusing primarily on the story of Christ's birth. The Midnight Mass is traditionally celebrated through Holy Communion with family and comprises of candle-lit carol services, dramatizations of Christ's life story and ringing of the bells at midnight. In Israel, a procession is held from Jerusalem to Bethlehem on the Christmas Eve.
• However, in recent past, "Midnight Mass" has been held at 7 PM, under the instruction of the churches in the Spanish-speaking regions. The Midnight Mass is also known as Misa del Gallo, or "Missa do Galo", in Portuguese which means the "Rooster's Mass".
• In the Philippines, people conduct the Midnight mass for nine days starting December 16 and continue up to December 24. During these nine days, the Filipinos organize dawn Masses that generally start around 4:00-5:00 AM.
• Traditionally, Christian families celebrate the Christmas Eve meal with various meats, all around the world. But, the Italians and Sicilians celebrate the traditional Catholic "Feast of the Seven Fishes" which is served after a fasting period of 24 hours. Though pre-Christmas fasting has never been one of the common traditions, the Italian-Americans still follow this tradition and attend the Midnight Mass.