Anglican Church Twente

St Mary's of Weldam / Christmas Member of the East Netherlands Group of Chaplaincies in the Diocese of Europe

THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST Anticipation and Hope "Christ is born!" Among all the festivals of the Christian Church year, Christmas remains the most observed and most popular. Of course, much of that popularity, especially in the West, is due to the commercial promotion of the holiday. The Season of Christmass starts after nightfall of December 24th with a Solemn Midnight Mass, and lasts to the day before the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th - 'the twelve days of Christmass'. We celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ; the Incarnation of the Son of God, the second Person of the Holy Trinity. We celebrate the beginning of the completion of God's plan for our restoration to relationship with Him; the plan that will lead our Incarnate Lord to His crucifixion, death, and glorious Resurrection The Colour of Christmass The liturgical colour of Christmas is Gold/White, which is the colour of purity and innocence and is worn on the feast days of Our Lord. White vestments, signifying the purity of the soul and often worn for this great festival may be replaced by Gold as we have here. The symbolism is the same, no metal is more pure or more valued than gold. Nothing is more pure or of more value than the love of God, shown to us in the Babe of Bethlehem.