# Why don't most christians go to church on Christmas? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 24, 2011, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-most-christians-go-to-church-on-christmas/607318 "2011-12-24T23:44:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2011, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-most-christians-go-to-church-on-christmas/607318/41 "2011-12-25T15:24:04Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > What about trying to avoid the [seven deadly sins](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_deadly_sins), (Most people fail at several of those, Christian or not) not casting the first stone, loving thy neighbor, etc? In other words, living and behaving in ways laid out by scripture. FWIW, the Seven Deadly Sins are more of a Catholic thing than a Christian thing. Gotta remind yourself that “Christians” is a name for a fairly diverse group of sects which all have different rules. Some sects like their rules better than others. We’re all humans with free will and we’ve all decided to interpret the scriptures differently. Hell, if you noticed, the Gospels are all different guys interpreting the same events in Jesus’ life differently! Saying that a fat Christian is a fail is as weird sounding to me as going to a Colts/Cowboys football game and declaring a lack of football fans in attendance because no one is wearing a foam cheese hat. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2011, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-most-christians-go-to-church-on-christmas/607318/42 "2011-12-25T17:02:41Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > But that belief is the easy part (I suppose.) People can believe - or claim to beleive - all sorts of things, but aren’t we more defined by our actions, or don’t actions matter as much as belief? > > What about trying to avoid the [seven deadly sins](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_deadly_sins), (Most people fail at several of those, Christian or not) not casting the first stone, loving thy neighbor, etc? In other words, living and behaving in ways laid out by scripture. > > Because, if I get what **Indygrrl** is saying, many or most self-identified Christians are fairly unabashed about violating at least several of the seven sins (hello, gluttony and envy - I know a husband and wife pastor of a Baptist church who are both obese and live in a ginormous McMansion - not very Christ-like but what do I know); lie, cheat and steal with the best of us and don’t in general seem to be particularly more Christ-like or virtuous or generally better people than people who claim to be non-religious. > > So actually belonging to a church or fellowship is irrelevant, but simply professing belief in God and that he sent Jesus to die for the sins of mankind is enough? The original question was about church attendance specifically, and asked what the difference is supposed to be between Christians and atheists if the Christians don’t go to church. Since she already said they **behave** similarly in many ways, I was pointing out the beliefs issue, which some atheists claim is evidence of a Christian’s delusion/insanity. (And, conversely, some Christians claim the opposite is evidence of delusion or being misled by Satan.) So the mere presence of belief (or lack thereof) ought to mean a lot in distinguishing the two. And as stated by **ZipperJJ** , the Seven Deadly Sins are a Catholic thing to the best of my understanding. Protestants, or at least the variations I’ve seen, don’t really acknowledge them as a religious thing. Just as not all Christians acknowledge the Seven Deadly Sins, some don’t acknowledge the need to attend a church to fuel their faith or show their devotion. It’s as simple as that. ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2011, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-most-christians-go-to-church-on-christmas/607318/43 "2011-12-25T18:34:10Z")
I participated with the music ministry at two Masses last night and one this morning. I don’t know about people who don’t go on Christmas, but sometimes they might feel like they’d be at odds with a parent/grandparent/other relative harping them to come more often. A lady friend of mine I’m presently smitten with goes exactly once a year, at Christmas, for the sake of pleasing her mother. I’m not sure to what extent she’s atheist or just apathetic, but Christmas is the time of year a lot of my friends, like her, sorta just “take one for the team.” With the new Roman Missal and a particularly pointed homily from the pastor this year, though, a few of them said they might not even do that. You’re not going to bait the lapsed Catholics back by talking down to them… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2011, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-most-christians-go-to-church-on-christmas/607318/44 "2011-12-25T19:43:27Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > ]Puritans in England during the Commonwealth period banned the celebration of Christmas. Religious observances on days other than Sunday was considered Popish. Actually it was considered pagan not papal. Christmas on the 25th was an accomadation to the converted pagans in northern Europe to replace the Solstice celebrations. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-most-christians-go-to-church-on-christmas/607318/45 "2011-12-25T20:13:52Z")
I do not attend church regularly. However the Christmas Eve service in the town I grew up in is something of a Homecoming for those of us who went to High School together. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2011, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-most-christians-go-to-church-on-christmas/607318/46 "2011-12-25T21:09:07Z")
My parents are the two most devoted Christians I know. Today they went to service. But growing up, we never did. For some Christians, Christmas is not very religious. Easter is the big, we-gotta-go-to-church-and-be-serious day, but Christmas is for fun and celebration. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2011, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-most-christians-go-to-church-on-christmas/607318/47 "2011-12-25T21:32:25Z")
I consider myself a Christian, and in fact I go to church every Sunday. I didn’t go today (I’m out of town, but wouldn’t have gone if I was at home). There’s just too much hustle and bustle going on at the moment, and the place would be practically empty if I went, anyway. All the families with small children are going to drag them away from their presents to go to church? Puh-lease. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-most-christians-go-to-church-on-christmas/607318/48 "2011-12-26T03:24:42Z")
Just for \*\*Indygrrl–\*\*we had a lovely Christmas service that we really enjoyed a lot (it was full of children who were well-behaved–but by the end of the hour they were dying to go home and open some gifts already!). It was nice to go to church and to see so many friends. I would be happy to do it every year. ---
**Author:** ![Renie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecae2f/32.png) [@Renie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renie)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-most-christians-go-to-church-on-christmas/607318/49 "2011-12-26T15:43:52Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Not in my experience, which covers parishes in half a dozen countries including your own. > > Catholic churches usually offer eve services for every Sunday except Resurrection Sunday (Easter Sunday) - the closest to an eve service you get for Christmas when Dec 25 doesn’t fall on a Sunday is Midnight Mass, again IME (note that calling it “Midnight Mass” doesn’t necessarily mean it starts at 0:00 - that 11pm Mass counts as a Midnight Mass). Christmas Eve mass at the Catholic church we attend was at 4:30. Nothing later than that on Christmas Eve. (and it was packed with chairs set up all over, and people standing in the back and along the sides.) One mass on Christmas Day. These have been the christmas mass times for years at our church..whether Christmas fall on Sunday, Monday or any other day. Years ago we had the actual midnight mass, at midnight. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-most-christians-go-to-church-on-christmas/607318/50 "2011-12-26T16:43:25Z")
> [@](#): > > Why don’t most christians go to church on Christmas? To the extent this is true (and I don’t think it is), perhaps it’s related to the reason many real partiers stay home on New Years Eve and St. Pat’s Day: it’s amateur hour. 😃 mmm ETA: The large church I attended was literally SRO. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-most-christians-go-to-church-on-christmas/607318/51 "2011-12-27T04:04:18Z")
One thing about Christmas Eve masses is that the music can be absolutely beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-most-christians-go-to-church-on-christmas/607318/52 "2011-12-27T04:27:31Z")
> [@Renie](#): > > Christmas Eve mass at the Catholic church we attend was at 4:30. Nothing later than that on Christmas Eve. (and it was packed with chairs set up all over, and people standing in the back and along the sides.) One mass on Christmas Day. These have been the christmas mass times for years at our church..whether Christmas fall on Sunday, Monday or any other day. > > Years ago we had the actual midnight mass, at midnight. In my experience, Catholic churches in this area use their Sunday schedule on Christmas. There are some modifications - instead of a 5 pm Sat Mass there might be both a 5 pm and another , later Mass on Christmas Eve, and if a parish has a Sunday evening Mass, there may not be an evening mass on Christmas. But around here, no parish goes from one Mass on Saturday and and four on Sunday to four on Christmas Eve and one on Christmas (like **Guinastasia** ’s experience) or from one on Sat and four on Sun to one each on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-most-christians-go-to-church-on-christmas/607318/53 "2011-12-27T15:34:29Z")
My parish’s midnight Mass started at midnight. Carols started at 11:30. StG ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-most-christians-go-to-church-on-christmas/607318/54 "2011-12-27T18:36:16Z")
Just pointing out (since I don’t see that anyone has) that for Catholics, Christmas is a Holy Day and there absolutely will be a mass on any holy day, regardless of how many convenient vigil masses are scheduled. This year was unusual since Christmas was on Sunday; you got a twofer with Sunday/Holy day mass. And also I would like to state that people’s stated beliefs that don’t match up with their practices annoy _everyone_, not just atheists. Hypocritical behavior is hypocritical behavior — just as human nature is human nature. You’re going to get it whether people call themselves Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Purplish, Bluish … or atheist. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-most-christians-go-to-church-on-christmas/607318.md?page=2)