Photos of Midnight Mass and Holy Observances of Christmas

After many images of Santa Claus, bright lights, and shopping malls, here is one last photo visit to Christmas focusing on the holy aspect—the commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ and the varying Christian observances taking place around the world, often at midnight. Gathered here are Christmas services and observances from China, Kenya, Iran, Iraq, England, the U.S., India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Israel, France, and many more countries.

Read more
Hints: View this page full screen. Skip to the next and previous photo by typing j/k or ←/→.

Most Recent

  • Franck Fife / AFP / Getty
    • In Focus
    • Jan 16, 2019
    • 28 Photos

    Photos From the 2019 Dakar Rally

    On January 7, a group of 334 competitors began the 41st annual Dakar Rally: a punishing 10-day, 3,000-mile race across the Peruvian desert.

  • Ilya Terentyev / Getty
    • In Focus
    • Jan 15, 2019
    • 30 Photos

    Built to Separate: Border Barriers Around the World

    As more and more walls are built along borders worldwide, a look at some famous and some lesser-known barriers across the globe.

  • Costfoto / Barcroft Media via Getty
    • In Focus
    • Jan 11, 2019
    • 35 Photos

    Photos of the Week: Denver Longhorns, Camel Shaving, Hero Pups

    Heavy snow across Central Europe, a partial solar eclipse in China, a Transformer on the streets of Bogota, the Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Christmas fire in Saint Petersburg, and much more

  •
    • In Focus
    • Jan 9, 2019
    • 25 Photos

    Terrible Lizards: Dinosaur Statues of Questionable Accuracy

    A collection of photographs from the past century of large-scale mock dinosaurs, constructed to varying degrees of accuracy

Most Popular on The Atlantic

  1. Impeach Donald Trump
  2. What People Actually Say Before They Die
  3. Nancy Pelosi Is Winning
  4. How a Stroke Turned a 63-Year-Old Into a Rap Legend
  5. Nancy Pelosi’s Power Move on the State of the Union
  6. What It's Like to Learn You're Going to Die
  7. ‘Intensive’ Parenting Is Now the Norm in America
  8. The Attention Economy Is a Malthusian Trap
  9. Millennials Stare Into the Void, and Gillette Stares Back
  10. Photos From the 2019 Dakar Rally
Back to Top