Advent & Christmas
Thanks for celebrating Advent and Christmas at the Cathedral!
Thank you for joining us!
We appreciate you spending Advent and Christmas with the Cathedral. Whether you joined us in person, online, or both, we were thrilled to have you.
Christmas Lessons & Carols
Sat Dec. 23 • 6 pm Sun Dec. 24 • 6 pm At Capacity: in-person passes are no longer available for this service. We invite you to watch the livestream.Readings from Holy Scripture, favorite hymns, and instrumental music carry us from Creation to the manger in Bethlehem.
Christmas Eve Festival Holy Eucharist
Sun Dec. 24 • 10 pm At Capacity: in-person passes are no longer available for this service. We invite you to watch the livestream.In one of the most beautiful services of the year, we herald the Light made known to us on this holy night. We celebrate Christ’s birth with readings from Holy Scripture, favorite hymns, and seasonal choral and instrumental music. This service includes Holy Communion and uses incense.
Christmas Day Festival Holy Eucharist
Mon Dec. 25 • 11:15 am Join us for the festive morning service as we mark the birth of Christ with readings from Holy Scripture, favorite hymns, and seasonal choral and instrumental music. This service includes Holy Communion and uses incense. Passes are not required. Livestream also available.
Christmas Day Organ Recital
Mon Dec. 25 • 1:30 pm Come home to the Cathedral this Christmas as Cathedral Organist Thomas Sheehan presents a program of festive music. Tickets are not required. Livestream also available.
ICYMI: Family Christmas Service
Sat Dec. 23 • 11 am A menagerie of live animals helps bring the Nativity to life in this joyful service of carols and prayers. Gather loved ones of all ages to welcome the Holy Family in the festively decorated Cathedral nave.
ICYMI: Gospel Christmas: Joy to the World
Fri Dec. 22 • 6 pm Gather as we tell the story, through music, poetry, and scripture, in our annual Gospel Christmas service. Featuring the Cathedral Contemporary Ensemble, Washington Performing Arts Children of the Gospel Choir and the Jason Max Ferdinand Singers.
ICYMI: Blue Christmas Service
Tue Dec. 19 • 7 pm At a time of year when so many experience feelings of grief, loss, and hardship, this service of prayer, music, and reflection invites us into hope and healing. This service includes Holy Communion. Passes are not required. Livestream also available.
ICYMI: Advent Lessons & Carols
Sun Dec. 3 • 4 pm As we prepare for the birth of Jesus at Christmas, join us in-person or online for this popular seasonal service. Readings from Holy Scripture, hymns, and seasonal choral music proclaim the coming of the Promised One.
Handel's Messiah
Fri Dec. 8 • 7 pm Sat Dec. 9 • 4 pm Sun Dec. 10 • 4 pm Thank you for joining us! Join the Cathedral Choir and Baroque Orchestra for Handel’s beloved Messiah. The Cathedral’s soaring architecture and Gothic splendor offer a venue unlike any other in Washington to experience this masterpiece. Handel's Messiah: Family Edition
Sat Dec. 9 • 12 pm Thank you for joining us! Experience the best of Messiah with the whole family: an abbreviated performance of Messiah highlights, perfect for busy families with young children.
Christmas with the King's Singers
Fri Dec. 15 • 7 pm Thank you for joining us! Celebrate the magic of the Christmas season with one of Britain’s most beloved vocal ensembles, The King’s Singers, in their only DC-area appearance.
Crèches from Around the World
seasonal exhibit
This Christmas season, we invite you and your family to experience one of our most beloved traditions. Crèches from Around the World features nativity scenes—or, crèches—from dozens of different countries, showcasing a world of creative and diverse representations. Visit the exhibit during sightseeing hours.
learn more
Honor a Loved One this Christmas
memorial & honor gifts
The beauty of a Cathedral Christmas is made possible by people just like you! If you’d like to contribute to the offering of greens and flowers to honor a loved one, we appreciate your generosity as we aim to decorate the Cathedral to match the glory of the season.
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