Christmas is the feast on which we celebrate that God became man and was born in Bethlehem to save us. After the four weeks of Advent and, in many Latino communities, the nine nights of Las Posadas, we come to Christmas Eve on December 24 and Christmas Day on December 25. Here you will find Christmas prayers to pray as a family: before dinner, when placing the Baby Jesus in the manger, to bless the nativity scene and the table, and for those who are not with you this year.
Christmas Eve family prayer
This can be prayed on the evening of December 24, all together before the nativity scene, before dinner or before leaving for Midnight Mass.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Good Father, tonight the whole Church keeps watch with Mary and Joseph, waiting for the birth of your Son. Thank you for gathering us as a family for one more Christmas. Thank you for those who are here, for those who came from far away, and for those who accompany us from heaven.
Lord Jesus, you were born poor in a manger because there was no room for you in the inn. Come into our home tonight. Forgive what has divided us during the year, heal the wounds that still hurt, and teach us to welcome one another as you welcome us.
Holy Spirit, fill us with the simple joy of the shepherds, so that this feast may not stop at gifts and food, but be a true encounter with the Child God. Amen.
Finish with an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and a Glory Be.
Prayer for placing the Baby Jesus in the manger
In many families, the manger stays empty during Advent. At midnight on December 24, or when the family returns from Mass, the youngest child or the Child's godparents carry the figure in their arms, everyone rocks him, and he is laid in the manger. Meanwhile, you can pray:
Child Jesus, Son of God and Son of Mary, welcome to our home.
We receive you as Mary and Joseph received you in Bethlehem: in poverty, but with all our love. We lay you in this manger and ask you to make our hearts your cradle. May there always be room for you among us.
Bless the children of this family and all the children of the world, especially those who spend this night cold, hungry, or far from home. Amen.
Then each person can come forward to kiss the image of the Child, and a carol is sung.
Blessing of the nativity scene
If the nativity scene was set up during Advent, it can be blessed on Christmas Eve before the Child is placed in the manger. The father, mother, or grandparent leads, and the others respond.
Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
Read the Gospel according to Saint Luke 2:1-14, or at least the angel's words to the shepherds, who announced that a savior had been born in the city of David, the Messiah and Lord (Lk 2:11).
Lord God, Father of goodness, you so loved the world that you gave us your only Son, born of the Virgin Mary. Bless this nativity scene that we have prepared with love. As we look at it, may young and old in this house remember that Jesus came to stay with us, and may we learn to recognize him in the poor and in those who suffer. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
To bless your home as well, you can pray the prayer to bless the home and family.
Blessing of the Christmas table
For Christmas Eve dinner or Christmas Day lunch:
Bless, Lord, this Christmas table, the food we are about to share, and the hands that prepared it.
You were born in Bethlehem, which means "house of bread." Stay with us as we eat. Give bread to those who are hungry, and to us who have bread, a hunger for you and for justice.
Remember those who have no one to celebrate with today, and our loved ones who already celebrate with you in heaven. Amen.
Prayer for Christmas Day
Lord Jesus, today the angels sing in heaven, and we join their song: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests" (Lk 2:14).
Thank you for becoming one of us. Thank you because, being God, you chose to be born small, to need a mother, and to learn to walk and talk. In this way you taught us that no human life is a small thing to you.
Like the shepherds, we want to go to Bethlehem to see you. Like Mary, we want to keep in our hearts all we live in these days. And like the angels, we want to announce to everyone that the Savior has been born.
May the peace of this Christmas reach our families, our neighborhoods, and the countries living with war or violence. Amen.
Prayer to the Child Jesus
Sweet Child Jesus, though you are Lord of heaven and earth, you became small out of love for us. I adore you and give you thanks.
I give you my life, my joys, and my worries. You know what I need before I ask. I pray especially for (name your intention).
Teach me the humility of your manger, the obedience of your childhood in Nazareth, and the trust with which you rested in the arms of Mary and Joseph. May I always live as a child of God. Amen.
You can continue with the prayer to the Holy Family.
Prayer for those far away or alone at Christmas
Christmas can also hurt: there are empty chairs at the table, families separated by migration, and people spending these days alone or sick. This prayer is for them.
Lord Jesus, from your birth you knew the migrant's road, when your parents had to flee with you to Egypt. Accompany those who are far from their homeland and family this Christmas. May a call, a message, or a visit remind them that they are not forgotten.
Comfort those celebrating for the first time without a loved one. Receive our departed into your eternal Christmas, and give us the hope of being reunited with you.
Visit the sick, the imprisoned, those working tonight, and those without a roof. May no one feel alone, because you are God with us. Amen.
If you are going through a difficult time, this prayer for times of loneliness and discouragement may also help.
The Masses of Christmas and their Gospels
The Church celebrates Christmas with four Masses, each with its own Gospel:
- Vigil Mass (evening of December 24): the genealogy of Jesus and the announcement to Joseph (Mt 1:1-25).
- Mass during the Night, or Midnight Mass: the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem and the announcement to the shepherds (Lk 2:1-14).
- Mass at Dawn: the shepherds go to Bethlehem, and Mary keeps all these things in her heart (Lk 2:15-20).
- Mass during the Day: the prologue of Saint John, "And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (Jn 1:14).
The readings are the same every year. Reading them at home before dinner is a good way to prepare for Mass.
The Christmas season
Christmas does not end on December 25. The Church celebrates it for eight days, the Octave of Christmas, and then throughout the Christmas season, which lasts until the feast of the Baptism of the Lord in January. In those weeks we celebrate:
- The Holy Family, on the Sunday within the octave (or December 30 if there is no Sunday). See the prayer to the Holy Family.
- Mary, Mother of God, on January 1, also the World Day of Peace. See our New Year's prayers.
- The Epiphany or Three Kings' Day, on January 6 or the Sunday between January 2 and 8, depending on the country. See our Epiphany prayers.
- The Baptism of the Lord, which ends the Christmas season.
So your nativity scene can stay up until the end of the Christmas season, and in Mexico many families keep it until Candlemas, on February 2.
Frequently asked questions
What do you pray on Christmas Eve? The simplest thing is to gather before the nativity scene, read the Gospel of the birth of Jesus (Lk 2:1-14), pray the Christmas Eve prayer, place the Baby Jesus in the manger, and finish with an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and a Glory Be.
When is the Baby Jesus placed in the manger? Traditionally at midnight between December 24 and 25, recalling the moment of his birth, or on returning from Midnight Mass.
Do I have to go to Mass on Christmas? Yes. December 25 is a holy day of obligation throughout the Church. Any of the Christmas Masses fulfills it, including the vigil or Midnight Mass on the 24th.
How long does Christmas last? Liturgically, from the evening of December 24 until the feast of the Baptism of the Lord in January.
Closing prayer
Jesus, God with us, thank you for this Christmas. May the light of Bethlehem not go out in our home when we take down the decorations, and may we live all year with the peace and joy you bring us today. Mary and Joseph, watch over our family. Amen.
To prepare earlier, read the Advent wreath prayers, Las Posadas prayers, and the Novena de Aguinaldos.