When: annually, the evening of December 24.
For Christians, the evening of 24 December is Christmas Eve. People celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and, according to tradition, attend a church service.
Different for every country
Christmas Eve is different for every country. In some countries, it is a tradition to stay at home, while in others it is the custom to go out. If so, it does not always have to be a church visit. A visit to family or friends may also be among the possibilities.
In the Netherlands, paying attention to this evening for a long time did not make sense. This was due to the Reformation. During the 20th century, this changed, and Christmas Eve became important again. Not only were church services held in the evening.
Tradition is related to the Christian faith, but it could be argued that in the process, faith is mixed with folk traditions. Traditions that are not always based on church doctrine or church traditions. Added to this is the origins of the evening itself. The church celebrations can be traced back to how people celebrate holy services according to Jewish tradition. These begin on the Sabbath after sunset. This was later linked to the New Testament story. Jesus was born at night.
Tradition is related to the Christian faith, but it could be argued that in the process, faith is mixed with folk traditions. Traditions that are not always based on church doctrine or church traditions. Added to this is the origins of the evening itself. The church celebrations can be traced back to how people celebrate holy services according to Jewish tradition. These begin on the Sabbath after sunset. This was later linked to the New Testament story. Jesus was born in the night.
Precisely because that birth took place in the night hours, churches do not only open their doors during the evening hours for an evening service. Christmas Eve services are also held.
The non-religious celebration
It may happen that even without paying attention to the religious element, attention is paid to this Christmas Eve. Then it is a non-religious celebration. Central, then, are values such as charity and tolerance. Values that stem from the Christmas spirit. There is then no relationship or connection to religion.
In addition, it is conceivable that different Christian denominations come together to celebrate Christmas Eve.
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