What is a Christmas Eve candlelight service?

A Christmas Eve candlelight service is an evening gathering on December 24 where the lights are lowered and a flame is passed from candle to candle. It includes carols, the nativity reading from Luke 2, and quiet reflection, and it is open to everyone.

Can I go to a Christmas Eve service if I do not usually go to church?

Yes. Christmas Eve services are among the most welcoming of the year, and many people who attend rarely or never come. You can find a real church near you at living-bread.org/find-a-church.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve services: candlelight on the holiest night

A Christmas Eve service is one of the gentlest, most beautiful gatherings of the year, often held by candlelight, welcoming the birth of Jesus as the day turns toward Christmas.

A Christmas Eve service is an evening gathering on December 24, often by candlelight, welcoming the birth of Jesus. Expect familiar carols, the reading of the nativity from Luke 2, quiet reflection, and a shared candle. It is gentle and beautiful, and open to everyone, believers, seekers, and first-time visitors alike.

What a candlelight Christmas Eve service is like

Many churches lower the lights and pass a flame from candle to candle until the whole room is glowing. There are carols, the old story read aloud, a short reflection, and often a hush at the end that many people find deeply moving. It is a wonderful service to come to if you have not been in a long time, or ever.

“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.”
Isaiah 9:2 · King James Version

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”
Luke 2:7 · King James Version

A light in the darkness

The candlelight is not only lovely; it means something. Christians believe Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness, and that no darkness has ever put it out. On Christmas Eve, one small flame at a time, that hope is passed hand to hand.

Jesus, light of the world, on this quiet night let Your light reach the dark places in me. I hold a small flame in the darkness, and I believe it will not go out. Be born in me tonight. Amen.

Find a Christmas Eve service near you

When you are ready to be there in person, you can find a Christmas Eve service near you. We do not list service times here, because they change every year and from one place to the next. Instead we point you to real churches close to where you are, so you can go and see for yourself.

Find a church near you

Every church shown is a real place you can visit. Check the church’s own page, or call ahead, for this year’s service times.

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