Forgive my ignorance, but I’m very curious. I’ve never heard of this type of ceremony before and a quick Google search seems to turn up references to Baptist churches and, basically, programs for services. Would you mind elaborating a little? It sounds like a sort of pre-Advent decorating service with evergreens and pointsettias, like a pre-preparation thing–is that right?
On topic: I went to a midnight Mass, it was lovely, the only hiccup was an issue with the lights at the beginning. They were dimmed, but then someone leaned up against the light switch putting them on full brightness, and the panic reaction was to turn them all the way off again–lots of people looking around thinking they had gone blind for a moment before the lights came up dim again.
No forgiveness required: as I said, this was my first one ever.
Basically, you have it totally right. It’s a formal decorating of the sanctuary in preparation of the Christmas season. The rest of the churches I have attended put the decorations up during the week: you know, one Sunday, suddenly they’re there. The decorating of the church with all the evergreens and the poinsettias really make it feel like Christmas.
