Why is Christmas mass at midnight?

To understand the meaning of the Christmas mass, we must go back in time to the year 336. In the 4th century, the Romans celebrated the winter solstice on December 25, to honor the rebirth of the Sun God. Constantine, the first Christian emperor, chose to rely on this symbolic date to celebrate the birth of Christ who also brought light to humanity.

And the mass?

The Christmas mass appears in the Middle Ages. The first was given by Pope Gregory in Rome, at midnight, on the night of December 24 to 25, 590.

But why midnight?

Jesus would have been born at midnight. This hour has a strong symbolic significance: it announces a new day that is dawning. In the heart of the night, believers celebrate the passage from shadow to light, as the prophet Isaiah already announced in the Bible: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light arise” (Is 9:1).

Three masses to celebrate Christmas

If the Midnight Mass is the best known, you should know that originally, the Christmas Mass took place in three times: the Mass of the Angels, the Mass of the Shepherds and the Mass of the Divine Word. Each symbolizes one of the mysteries of the Nativity. Today, they still exist, but they no longer have the same name.

Thus, Christmas night opens with the Midnight Mass which celebrates the fulfillment of the promise made by God to the Hebrew people: the sending of a Savior. Then, shortly after the church has emptied, the Dawn Mass begins and allows the faithful to welcome the dawning light of Jesus into their souls. Finally, the next day, Christians celebrate the bodily birth of the Messiah during the Mass of the Day. These three celebrations accompany believers in welcoming the Good News between the evening of December 24 and the morning of December 25.

Christians are invited to listen to the words of the angels and, like the shepherds, to meet the child Jesus to spread joy. A joy which, as the Gospel according to Saint Luke reminds us, will be “that of all the people: today a Savior has been born to you, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David” (Lk 2:11).

An exceptional celebration

More than a thousand years after its creation, the Christmas mass(es) – a less late celebration, around 7 p.m., is often offered to families – have lost none of its magnificence. Even today, it brings together numerous assemblies well beyond the circle of practitioners. Around the crèche, to the sound of Christmas carols, everyone can find their inner child. And for believers, celebrate the joy of welcoming the birth of Christ.