Christmas without a nativity play and church service? This is unthinkable for many families. But what if you can’t or don’t want to go to church due to the pandemic? We give tips on alternatives.
The churches are traditionally full at Christmas. This year it will be different. The places in the church services are limited due to the Corona measures, interested parties must register in advance. Many families also want to stay at home so as not to expose themselves to the risk of coronavirus infection. But the festive mood doesn’t have to suffer, says the pastor for church in digital space in the Tempelhof-Schöneberg church district Theresa Brückner. Because there are alternatives.
Open-air church service and digital church service
She recommends first of all to find out about digital offers or open-air formats on the homepage of your own congregation or by calling the congregation office. “For example, the Christmas Eve church services of the congregations I am in contact with will mostly take place outside,” said Brückner. Many congregations used the time and developed alternatives to traditional church services. Some parishes have recorded the traditional nativity play in order to make it available digitally. For example the municipality of Mariendorf-Ost in Berlin, which publishes this on its YouTube channel just in time for Christmas.
It is also worth taking a look at the websites of the regional churches – events are also announced here. In addition, some services are also shown on television or broadcast on the radio.
Whole series of church services are now taking place digitally, such as the ecumenical project “Bread and Love” of the Protestant church district Tempelhof-Schöneberg and the Catholic Dean’s Office in Zurich City. There will be digital church services on December 25th and 26th via the Zoom platform – even with communion. Everyone takes care of their own bread and wine (or an alternative). According to Brückner, the response is overwhelming. Anyone who wants to take part can register.
Online, TV and radio: Divine service broadcasts on December 24, 2020
You can find a selection of broadcasts of Catholic and Protestant services on Christmas Eve on the radio, on television and in the stream here:
- 10 O `clock: Evangelical Christmas mass of the Hamburg parish Altona-Ost (Radio NDR Info and WDR 5)
- 3pm: Ecumenical divine service from Berlin (RBB)
- 3pm: Catholic service from the Hamburg Cathedral (in the stream on www.mariendomhamburg.de and live broadcast on the Domplatz)
- 3pm: Ecumenical service from Berlin (rbb television)
- 3pm: Christmas service for young people from Eichstätt (in the stream at www.youtube.com/user/bistumeichstaett)
- 3.30 p.m .: Catholic family Christian mass from Cologne (Heumar) (in the stream on www.youtube.com/channel/UCHpR5Jp28PRjqa8ToecgGPA)
- 4 pm: Catholic Christmas mass from Kevelaer (Radio Horeb)
- 4 pm: Ecumenical Christmas service from Munich-Haidhausen (in the stream at www.erzbistum-muenchen.de/stream or www.bayern-evangelisch.de/livestream-oekumenischer-gottesdienst-heiligabend)
- 4.15 p.m .: Evangelical Christmas vespers from Winsen ad Luhe (ARD)
- 4:50 p.m .: Evangelical church service from Pfaffendorf (in the stream on www.youtube.com/channel/UCuL5Sdv5KcMHuQcY32C3A9Q)
- 17 o’clock: Catholic service from the cathedral in Würzburg (in the stream on www.youtube.com/channel/UCirMLQuGuNclTBOkMmMIn0A)
- 17 o’clock: Catholic service from the cathedral in Hamburg (in the stream at www.mariendomhamburg.de)
- 17 o’clock: Evangelical church service from Sankt Wendel (Radio SR 2)
- 17 o’clock: Ecumenical radio service (Radio Essen and in the stream at www.radioessen.de/der-sender/radioplayer.html?radiochannel=live)
- 6 pm: Catholic Christmas mass from Cologne Cathedral (cathedral radio and TV station EWTN, livestream available at www.ewtn.de/livestream or www.domradio.de/web-tv/christmette-3)
- 6 pm: Catholic Christmas mass from Oberberg (in the stream at www.youtube.com/channel/UCX9pZhSnNsyLNYNJSuZpVlg)
- 6 pm: Protestant church service from Berlin (Radio rbb 88.8)
- 6.45 p.m .: Ecumenical service from Bremen (TV station RBremenTV, livestream available at tv.de/live/radio-bremen-tv)
- 19 o’clock: Catholic Christmas mass from the cathedral in Bamberg (in the stream on www.youtube.com/user/erzbistumbamberg)
- 19 o’clock: Catholic Christmas mass from Passau (TV channels NB-TV and BR)
- 19 o’clock: Catholic Christmas mass from the cathedral in Würzburg (in the stream at www.youtube.com/channel/UCirMLQuGuNclTBOkMmMIn0A)
- 19 o’clock: Catholic Christmas mass from the cathedral in Augsburg (on TV on a.tv)
- 19 o’clock: Catholic Christmas mass from Balderschwang (RadioHoreb, available via livestream at www.horeb.org/live/videolivestream)
- 7.15 p.m .: Evangelical Christmas vespers from Ingelheim (ZDF)
- 7.30 p.m .: Catholic Christmas mass from Rome with Pope Francis (BR and EWTN)
- 8.10 p.m .: Ecumenical address “The Word on Christmas Eve” (ARD)
- 8.30 p.m .: Catholic Christmas mass from Feichten (Alz) (TV station RFO)
- 22 O `clock: Catholic Christmas mass from Munich (in the stream on www.youtube.com/watch?v=8td5LMiIe40)
- 22 O `clock: Catholic Christmas mass from Fulda (in the stream on www.youtube.com/user/bistumfuldade)
- 22 O `clock: Catholic Christmas mass from Rottenburg (in the stream at www.drs.de/mediathek/livestream.html)
- 22 O `clock: Catholic Christmas mass from Eichstätt (Deutschlandfunk, Bayern 1)
- 10:05 p.m .: Catholic Christmas mass from Freudenstadt (Radio SWR 4)
- 10.15 p.m .: Catholic Christmas mass from Gießen (Radio HR 2)
- 10.30 p.m .: Catholic Christmas mass from the cathedral in Hildesheim (in the stream at www.bistum-hildesheim.de)
- 10.40 p.m .: Ecumenical Christmas mass from Dresden (on TV on MDR and on radio on MDR Kultur)
- 23 o’clock: Ecumenical Christmas mass from the Hamburg Cathedral (in the stream at www.mariendomhamburg.de)
- 23 o’clock: Protestant church service from the Berlin Cathedral (in the stream at www.berlinerdom.de/live)
- 11.20 p.m .: Catholic Christmas mass from Nettetal (ARD and WDR)
In Bavaria there is currently a strict curfew from 9 p.m. due to the pandemic. Many parishes have therefore brought their Christmas mass forward to 7 p.m. In others it will take place later in the evening as planned, but without an audience on site.
What rules apply to the Christmas service?
If you prefer to watch the service in church, you have to register in advance (information on this is available in the respective parish). A minimum distance of 1.50 meters must be maintained during church services and mouth and nose protection must be worn. There is also a ban on singing for the communities. However, soloists could possibly sing, says ZdK chairman Thomas Sternberg.
Singing at home instead of worship
Those who do not want to take advantage of either a digital or an open-air offer still have the opportunity to read the Christmas story at home, say prayers or sing Christian songs. Instructions for this are provided, for example, in the brochure “Visit for You” by the ecumenical initiative Another Times, advises Pastor Brückner.
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