Christmas Eve will see attendances bolstered in many of our churches, as ever-present members of the congregation are joined by those who make their sole annual visit for crib services or midnight mass on 24th December.
With traditions less uniform on Christmas Day, many church communities – powered by a selfless band of volunteers – choose to give their time ensuring a safe, welcoming environment is available for those who may dread a day synonymous with family and festivities.
Among the churches in our Diocese to have made the provision of good food, warmth and festive entertainment central to its yearly Christmas offering is Aylsham Parish Church.
Led by Revd Canon Julie Boyd, Rector for the Aylsham and District Team Ministry, the church invites all who would otherwise spend the 25th December alone to take part in an event including a three-course meal, live performance by a saxophonist and community screening of the King’s Speech.
Discussing the annual lunch which has become a fixture of the festive calendar for many members of the community in and around Aylsham, Revd Julie said:
“Christmas can be a real joy as families come together and celebrate the season, whether that is for reasons of faith or tradition or simply the desire to eat good food. For some people the reality of Christmas is very different; there might be no family to spend time with or perhaps there is a new bereavement that somehow changes everything. For those who find themselves in situations of this kind, it might not feel like a day of celebration at all.
“In these last few years Aylsham Parish Church have started offering an alternative for people on Christmas Day. We organise a Christmas Day Lunch in the Town Hall for all those who, for whatever reason, would be alone on Christmas Day or find the day difficult for other reasons.”
This commitment to ensuring nobody feels isolated at Christmas is not only shaped by Julie’s faith, but also due to tragic personal experience. The tradition of bringing the community together on 25th December began in 2017 while at a church in Gaywood, King’s Lynn, when Revd Julie and her husband Matthew had to confront Christmas just three months after losing their 20-year-old son Andrew.
Revd Julie explained:
“For us as a family it was the most dreadful of years in which nothing felt normal, nothing made sense and we needed to do something different. We also recognised that we weren’t alone, there were so many other people who also needed to embrace Christmas in a new way. To make it a day in which we come together as a community of care seems to me to be the perfect way to celebrate Christmas for surely that is the reason for the season.”
This year’s Christmas Day Lunch, to be held at Aylsham Town Hall and made possible courtesy of sponsorship from Aylsham Round Table and Waitrose, invites all those who wish to spend Christmas in the company of others to book a free place in advance.
St Mary Magdalene Church in Gorleston is also holding a traditional Christmas lunch this year, with details of the vital community event having been shared on Facebook alone more than 150 times.
Revd Matthew Price, the Vicar of St Mary Magdalene, believes passionately that welcoming people of all backgrounds on Christmas Day perfectly crystallises what it means to be a follower of Christ:
“As Christians, we are celebrating the birth of the saviour who came not to be served but to serve. To do this by serving others and creating a community around a celebratory three-course meal on an otherwise disconcerting day, feels very in line with what Jesus would want us to be doing on his birthday.
“We have found that having company on Christmas day is a wonderful experience for a wide range of different people. Some come who are homeless or in temporary accommodation. Others come who are elderly and isolated. Some have mental health problems or are estranged from their families.
“We also welcome people who have very good jobs and loving families but, due to broken marriages or relationships, find they are going to be alone for this one day and want to redeem it by volunteering. And then there are others who want their children to learn how to give from a place of plenty – so they choose not to just indulge them at home but bring them to come to serve others. Together the most wonderful, spirited community is formed!”
Whether you would like to attend, volunteer or donate to a Christmas meal in your area, check your local church’s A Church Near You page, website, social media account or parish notice board.