SOME NOTES FOR CHRISTMAS IN CHURCH

ADVENT WREATHS
Given the name of these wreathes they should be removed after Advent, i.e. before Midnight Mass (or the first Mass of Christmas).  The white candle is a recent addition – if you have one you might consider lighting it at a Crib Service at which the Crib isn’t, by tradition, blessed (see below). 

CRIBS
I know how popular Crib Services can be but the Crib itself should not be blessed on that occasion, nor the Bambino put in place – both events occur at Midnight Mass.   The first Crib was created by St. Francis of Assisi; it greeted villagers from Greccio when, at Francis’ invitation, they came to Mass in the middle of the night and discovered an ox and ass, sheep etc… and a crib beneath the altar..

In our own day the Bambino should be placed under a veil on a cushion on the altar and the veil removed at the Consecration.  It occupies the place where the small crucifix normally lies until it is processed to the Crib at the end of Mass.  The priest carries it using, if available, a humeral veil as would be done for a procession of the Blessed Sacrament where the priest holds the monstrance using the veil.  Once the Bambino has been placed in the Crib it is traditional, when passing on Christmas Day, to genuflect; it is also traditional to offer Devotions at the Crib during the Season.  

The Wise Men do not occupy the Crib until Epiphany (when the Shepherds are removed) and it’s a custom that, beforehand’ they are placed at the ‘back’ of the church and ‘journey’ down the church (window ledge to window ledge – if you have them) through until Epiphany.

As to when to remove the Crib one needs to consider if it’s appropriate to have it in place when celebrating the Feast of the Baptism (when Jesus must have been about 30) and into Ordinary Time until the Feast if the Presentation of Christ in the Temple.  

GENUFLECTION
Apart from genuflecting to the Bambino it is correct, on the Feast of the Incarnation, to do so at the 'et incarnatus est' during the Creed.

READINGS
In visiting different churches I've noticed that the Readings can get muddled. The correct sequence is:

Midnight: Mass of the Angels (Set I : Luke 2.1-14) - and it's 'of Christmas' not 'Christmas Eve'!;

Dawn: Mass of the Shepherds (Set II : Luke 2: 15-20),

Day: Mass of the Word (John 1.1-5, 914).

I'm sure God can cope with variations, but there are good reasons why this sequence was developed by the Church.