The glorious feast of Christmas, commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, dawns at midnight today (24th). It is the firm belief of the Christian community that the teachings of His human compassion—born into this world to redeem mankind from sin—paved the way for the liberation of all humanity.

The Main Christmas Service for this year’s festival is scheduled to be held at St. Mary’s Church, Uswetakeiyawa, starting at midnight. The service will be presided over by the Archbishop of Colombo, His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith.

According to traditional customs, the Cardinal will lead the main service following the ceremonial placement of the statue of the Baby Jesus in the specially constructed manger within the church premises.

A Call for Humble Celebrations

While Christmas has been celebrated with great festive splendor in previous years, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has made a special appeal to all Christian devotees this year. He has requested that Christmas be observed humbly, focusing on providing relief to those affected by recent natural disasters.

In response to this call, devotees across the island have taken steps to ensure celebrations remain modest. Despite the humble nature of the religious observances, major cities—including Colombo—have been decorated with Christmas lights and ornaments to mark the significance of the day.