Christmas religious services will look different to many Americans in the United States this year, as coronavirus restrictions limit and alter meetings.
The services that are usually attended by hundreds will be limited to prevent the transmission of the virus, as well as follow the guidelines of social distance.
Some churches are demanding facial coverage, parishioners’ record sheets to help track contact, and are providing hand hygiene stations.
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The Catholic parish of St. Anne in Wausau, Wisconsin, created a chart of seats assigned for the holiday mass.
Churches like the Pleasant Valley Church of Christ in Arkansas were also forced to change color, inviting visitors to participate in an outdoor candlelit ceremony at the 18,000-seat War Memorial Stadium at the University of Arkansas.
At neighboring North Little Rock First United Methodist, Christmas Eve services will be held in a parking lot and broadcast over an FM radio station.
Jonathan and Alesha Vaughn, and their children, Addison, 5, left, and Ann Marie, 7, pray during services at the Worship Center at Highland Colony Baptist Church in Ridgeland, Mississippi, November 29, 2020. (Associated Press)
The Catholic Church of the Holy Cross in Lynchburg, Va., Canceled its midnight mass due to the pandemic curfew of Democratic Governor Ralph Northam.
Lynchburg Peakland Baptist Church will pre-record its services.
In Bedford, the Main Street United Methodist Church was forced to cancel a 11 pm service to allow enough time to clean the church surfaces.
That said, the church will accept only 60 of the 250 regular participants.
The Community Church of the Messiah in Denver asked its members to go out on their porches to light a candle and sing while the Highlands United Methodist Church will hold its service near its large Christmas tree.
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The First Presbyterian of Colorado Springs will hold face-to-face services, but will divide families and churchgoers into six different rooms.
Singing – which is linked to an increased risk of spreading the virus – is not allowed in congregations in Pennsylvania. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia will offer masses via Zoom and also through some face-to-face procedures to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
Parishioners and religious leaders are increasingly connecting to the Internet to spread their word, and the Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church in Georgia will hold Christmas services mainly through video chat.
But limitations and errors abound in a virtual church – especially among older believers.
Facebook Live, Zoom and FaceTime have become essential tools for pastors looking to reach out to their members, and worship has changed radically for many during the course of the pandemic.
Only 9% of traditional Protestants who regularly attend services every month told the Pew Research Center that they personally worshiped during the pandemic. More than half reported having participated exclusively online.
Governors and other state leaders have recovered from restrictions on religious services as COVID-19 cases continue to increase. Some churches sued for capacity limits.
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The United States Supreme Court found that capacity limits for places of worship in New York are not applicable.
However, the pandemic may not be the only factor that distorts church customs this holiday season, as the inclement weather sweeps across much of the Midwest and East Coast.