District of Munich – This is how Catholics and Protestants celebrate Christmas – District of Munich

The good news first: “Oh you happy” and “Silent Night” will be heard at church services on Christmas Eve. It will be the second pandemic Christmas and the restrictions on church services are looser than a year ago – this year you can sing. However: Church visitors should dress warmly. Because many church congregations and parishes preach, sing and pray in the open air.

Some congregations think big when it comes to design: The Catholic Parish Association Unterhaching celebrates the birth of Christ in the football station. The idea existed last year, says Pastor Axel Windecker. But in 2020 it was not allowed at short notice. This year the very special service will be implemented. Windecker expects 1500 visitors to the SpVgg Unterhaching stadium, whoever wants to take part must register (https://pfarrverband-unterhaching.de/heiligabend2021) and prove their 2-G status when making the reservation. Otherwise, the mask requirement and the distance requirement apply.

Open detailed view

There will be a reduced service celebration, three songs will be played, children from the parish and young people from the SpVgg will read intercessions, after 45 minutes it will be over. It is a great challenge, says Windecker, to turn the stadium into a worship space. But also an opportunity. Because he hopes in this way to reach visitors who otherwise do not go to church.

This year the churches have scope to celebrate corona-compliant services. There are three options: without restricted access, but with a distance of one and a half meters and a mask requirement, with the recommendation to wear the mask continuously, even when singing. Alternatively, churches can apply the 3-G rule, in which case spacing can be dispensed with. The state is only required to wear a mask until everyone has taken their place; however, the dioceses strongly recommend that all participants keep their masks on at all times, except for those who recite texts or songs; As at other events, toddlers and schoolchildren are equal to those who have been vaccinated. Third, churches can celebrate outdoors.

The Evangelical Lutheran parish in Graefelfing is also planning this. “It will be atmospheric,” promises Pastor Walter Ziermann. The meadow around the Friedenskirche and the trees are illuminated, there is a fire bowl, a crib, music and singing. The other sermon places are also designed. The parish does not meet until Christmas mass at 11 p.m. in the Friedenskirche, “we don’t expect so many visitors anymore”, then 3G applies. However: “We don’t have a plan B,” says the pastor. In bad weather, visitors would have to come “with an umbrella and long underpants” on Christmas Eve.

Open detailed view

The Catholic Parish Association of Graefelfing relies on a mix of outside and inside. At 5.30 p.m. there is a prayer on the church forecourt of St. Stefan, for the other services it goes to the warm church, there the 3-G rule applies. The church also dares a nativity play, “but slimmed down,” says Pastor Markus Zurl. Roles were agreed among the children, everyone has learned their text at home, on December 23 there is the first and only quick rehearsal. Those who prefer to stay at home can follow the children’s Christmas mass at 4 p.m. and the Christmas mass at 11 p.m. on the church’s own YouTube channel “PV Graefelfing”.

The Catholic Parish Association Ismaning / Unterföhring has with a heavy heart refrained from a nativity play. So that children can still experience the Christmas story, families are invited on December 24th during the day under the title “Be on the move like Mary and Joseph”. Deacon Frank Kreysing and colleagues receive the families in small groups in the inner courtyard and guide them into the church, where the Christmas story is read and then two songs are sung accompanied by the organ, including “Silent Night”. Then it goes out again, where the children receive a blessing and can take the peace light from Bethlehem home with them. “To hear and sing ‘Silent Night’ accompanied by the organ is very important for me emotionally on Christmas Eve,” says Kreysing. “Then it really is Christmas. Hopefully we want to capture this feeling.”

The service is broadcast outside on the church wall

The Evangelical Lutheran St. Michael parish in Ottobrunn, Neubiberg and Hohenbrunn also offers a colorful mix of indoor and outdoor church services. It relies on registration and 3G plus, i.e. evidence of vaccinated, recovered or negative PCR-tested, as well as keeping a distance and FFP2 mask throughout. Armed in this way, a maximum of 150 visitors can experience the family church service with a nativity play in St. Michael’s Church at 2.30 p.m. This is followed by two Christmas vespers with Dean Mathis Steinbauer at 4.30 p.m. and 6 p.m. and the Christmas mass with Pastor Olivia Palumbiny at 11 p.m. The Christmas vespers at 4.30 p.m. will also be broadcast live and will then be available as an online devotion on the homepage www.michaelskirche.de retrievable. Further church services take place outside in front of the funeral hall of the Neubiberger cemetery. “My hope is that with more vaccinations, more community will be possible again. Our varied Christmas offers should be a contribution on the way,” says Steinbauer.

Pastor Christian Stalter from the Evangelical Lutheran St. Thomas Church in Grünwald focuses on diversity. “We want to consider as many situations as possible and reach a large number of parishioners in different ways,” he says. Two family services take place outdoors in front of the church, the two Vespers services in the Thomaskirche are also broadcast on the outside wall of the church so that they can also be seen from the church garden. Inside applies 2G, outside 3G, always with a mask. All services with the exception of the festive Christmas mass at 11 p.m. will be broadcast live on the YouTube channel “Thomasgemeinde Grünwald”.

A lot goes on in year two of the pandemic, and much can only take place on a reduced basis. “Take as it comes” is the task of the hour, says Pastor Zurl from Graefelfing. “There was also a lot of improvisation in Bethlehem.”