Do we have to attend Mass both on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day?

[mego01]

At church today they mentioned that we must attend both Christmas Eve Mass and Christmas Day Mass. Have I missed something all these years? I never heard that we were required to go both days. Here is what they even put on the bulletin: “All Masses celebrated on Saturday are for Christmas Day. Sunday Mass is celebrated for Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. You must attend Mass on Saturday and Sunday.”

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

This year Christmas Eve is on Friday, Christmas Day is on Saturday, and the Feast of the Holy Family is on Sunday. If your church is offering Christmas vigil Masses on Christmas Eve (Friday), you may fulfill your Christmas obligation on Friday, December 24, and your Sunday obligation on Sunday, December 26. (Vigil Masses always “count” toward the holy day obligation.) Only if your church was not offering Christmas vigil Masses on Christmas Eve would you have to go to Mass for Christmas on Saturday. What you cannot do is to fulfill your Christmas and Sunday obligation by going to one Mass on the evening of Christmas Day.