Some Churches to Close on Christmas Sunday

Some megachurches are taking Christmas Sunday off this year, as reported by Adelle Banks and Jason Kane in the RNS article of the week, linked above.

Quote: When Christmas and Sunday occur on the same day-which last occurred in 1994-what’s a church to do? At a time when evangelicals have criticized retailers for ignoring the religious reason for the season, this December dilemma raises a broader question for Christians: Should Christmas Day be a time for faith or family, or both?

but

At Catholic churches, crowds are expected to be larger than usual on Christmas Day-considered a holy day of obligation. Thumma and other Protestant researchers expect the numbers to be far lower than usual in Protestant pews.

One reason is the liturgical calendar, which Catholic and some mainline Protestant congregations follow. Christmas is a prominent date. Non-liturgical congregations, including most evangelical and nondenominational churches, may have more extended Christmas celebrations that occur on days other than the specific holiday.