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IT’S CHRISTMAS EVE, and for many this time of year is about religious celebration.
Under the new restrictions, Christmas religious services may take place, but will move online after 25 December when places of worship may remain open for private prayer.
While some people will make sure they attend a religious service in person, others might prefer to attend an online service. Others won’t be attending a service at all for a variety of reasons.
What about you: Will you attend a religious service on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?
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My mother asked if I wanted to go to Christmas Eve Mass and I said I would. When she said she would get me a ticket because numbers are limited I suggested I would skip it so the ticket should go to someone who really wants it and goes regularly. The look I got suggested I might be a late addition to the Naughty List.
@James O’Donovan: as Francis Brennan would say “ooooohhhhhhh”!
Look at the percentage who don’t attend religious services – the Catholic Church has lost it’s sweaty grip on this country (or at least journal readers) at long last. Happy Xmas all :)
@Martin Waldron: what is xmas?
@Seamus Mac: x rated mass
@Martin Waldron: the poll is open. It is not confuned to rrsidents of ROI. I voted from Montreal because at 76 I am not going this year. Our church says first 25 in church, next 25 in church hall. Rest of you come back next year. Not one for TV Mass.
@Martin Waldron: actually 45.6% is not the majority.
@System Halted: It is if you use first past the post…
@Declan McArdle: not if you break them into Do Go / Don’t Go.
@Martin Waldron: and yet they celebrate Christmas.
@Martin Waldron: happy Christmas
@Martin Waldron: Bang on! Anybody under 50 believing in a sky daddy has issues..
@Martin Waldron: happy birth of Christ day tomorrow. Enjoy the celebrations.
@Teddy Bear: care to share your insight into the origins of the universe?
@bomber: Christmas is just the Roman version of much older events, such as the solstice.
@GrumpyAulFella: Lets have a be; Happy, every day comment.
@Martin Waldron: Merry Christmas, agus go mbeirimid vaccinated go tapa!
@Martin Waldron: a sad reflection on society
@Seamus Mac: just because we can’t yet explain something fully doesn’t mean it happened by magic. Just relax and enjoy your dinner, assuming you’re correct about the whole god end of things you’re sorted, right?
@Seamus Mac: X is the first letter in the greek word for Christ, so it’d be like us saying Cmas. Is that what you want to know or ido you not know what xmas is, having lived in space all your life?
@Seamus Mac: It’s short for Christmas, but you know that already, don’t you? You also know that christianity plagiarized many Pagan rituals and celebrations including Yule. You may think it’s relevent to the assumed birth date of your magical Nazarene, it’s not. Have a great Xmas as you stare at your decorative Pagan tree.
@Pseud O’Nym: I just think that before someone goes deriding other peoples beliefs they should have an alternative to hand. Merry Christmas to You or whatever your having yourself.
No body puts a gun to your head to go to church, this is something which each of us decides for ourselves at some point in our lives, so for those who find comfort or reassurance in their beliefs, let them do so without spite, malice or ill will, personally , I will miss church services this year for health reasons but I will try and catch the carol services on tv, I love the carols , hopefully next year will be better for all of us, merry Christmas to you and yours.
@Honeybee: Was that the same; Carol I was mad about one time.
@Honeybee: They did in the past and would now if they had any power. Thankfully their day is gone.
@Honeybee: I’ll hazard a guess that you don’t have an Irish mammy.
What an encouraging result, rationality continues to gain ground in an increasingly progressive and compassionate Ireland.
@Cosmological: I’ll answer that with a chuckle. What does progressive mean? Celebrating abortions and immoral behaviour? You worship idols
@Daniel O’Byrne:
Chuckle away and continue to believe in myths created when we believed the earth was flat, progress in understanding the cosmos means a very great deal.
We went last night when it was less busy…
I’ll be too busy delivering presents
have your say