I just received our letter of confirmation to pick up tickets for Christmas Eve service at the Vatican. I was hoping someone here who has attended before can give some advice on how to attend.
What time to get there? Best way to get a seat in the Bascilica? Dress code? etc..
Hi, Joe. Is this the Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve? It's a popular joke among Catholics -- "what time is the Midnight Mass in your parish?" Is it in fact starting at Midnight, or at an earlier hour like 10:00pm? You will need to know this beforehand. Your hotel concierge will be up to date if this changes; just keep in touch with him/her.
Assuming the Mass in fact starts at Midnight, then I would recommend finding a restaurant in the vicinity and getting dinner (which the Italians call "cena", pronounced CHAIN-uh) at 7:00 when the restaurants open. You could find a restaurant in the Borgo Pio district, or near the Piazza del Risorgimento, or near the Largo di Porto Cavalleggeri. At whatever restaurant you choose, just let the waiter know you're attending the Midnight Mass, and that you need to leave by 9:00. If you're anxious about getting to St. Peter's Square sooner, you could find a place in these areas that serves sandwiches or pizza, and bring the food with you to the Square. It's probably best to eat before Mass, which won't end until 1:30 or 2:00 in the morning.
On the other hand, if the Mass starts earlier, say around 10:00, then you could possibly wait to eat dinner until after Mass. Many restaurants, but not all, may still be open. Again, it's good to consult your hotel concierge.
It's hard to determine when people will arrive at the Square. Certainly, around 3 hours prior to Mass, the crowds will start to thicken, and there may even be a long line waiting for security to let people in through security. That will probably happen about 2 hours or 90 minutes before Mass.
It's festival seating inside St. Peter's Basilica. I will be blunt. Prepare for culture shock. As soon as security opens up, there will be a mad rush to get in. Just use common sense and politeness as you make your way through. But don't linger. Keep up the pace as best as you're able. Once inside the Basilica, keep in mind that everyone will want to get as close as they can get to the altar. Is it worth it to follow the "Christmas rush"? What I've done in the past is to find a seat further back in the church so I can get as close as I can get to the main aisle, which will be cordoned off. When Mass begins, the Pope and his entourage will process down this aisle, and it's likely the closest you will ever get to him in your entire life. You won't see much of the Mass, but at least you'll see the Pope pretty close at the beginning and the end. And you can get pretty good pictures of him. Otherwise, follow the mad dash up front to the sanctuary, but don't be disappointed if even up there you can't get close to either the altar or the Pope in the procession.
This will be prime time for pickpockets. Be alert, and use a lot of common sense. Unless you have religious items (e.g. Rosaries) to be blessed by the Pope at the end of Mass, don't bring any bags or other items. Follow Rick Steve's advice about pickpocket scams to be aware of.
Dress code will probably not be an issue, as it is December, and you'll want to dress warmly. I hope this info is helpful. Please let me know if I may be of further assistance.
What Ron just said. The only time I've gone was in 1977, but it was very much the same. Only then, there were seats for some people and the rest of us stood.
On the advice of an Italian we met, who tried to get us seats, we arrived at the square at 22:00 and got as close to the entrance as possible. People sang Christmas carols and it was a very happy group.
They let us in at 23:00 and we made a mad dash for the spot he recommended where the aisle and the last seats met. It was the perfect spot to see everything. The Pope was carried in as he described and he looked right at us. Yes he was within 10 feet of us. She is Catholic and I'm not, but it was a very special moment.
We were there for midnight mass and it did seem to last a long time, so we were probably out by 01:30 or 02:00. There was no public transportation at all and no taxis when we got out. Fortunately, we had met a woman studying architecture in Rome who lived quite close to our pension, so she walked home with us.
Did you keep count? I estimated that we were on our feet for a total of about 5 hours. Was it worth it? Definitely. Be thankful you will be able to sit at least during most of the mass itself.
AFAIK the last two years the Mass has been at 10:00 PM, doors probably opened about two hours prior, and people I know have given up the entire evening to this venture. The arrive at 6:00-6:30 PM to stand in line outside, then make the mad dash as soon as the doors are opened.
I would advise to wait and see what your tickets say for entrance time, then show up to stand in line outside at least a couple of hours prior to doors opening, if you want a chance at a somewhat decent seat with some sort of chance of seeing the Pope. If you arrive after the doors have opened you will still get a seat if you have a ticket. No ticket, you are in the piazza instead watching on Jumbotrons. Have a nice late afternoon aperitivo and then a supper following. Make a reservation for the latter! Restaurants are slammed!
Aisle seats are treasured and those fill in first. There is little dignity in the crowd, so even if you score an aisle seat -- I did so one New Year's Eve at the evening service (5:30 PM I think) -- and people pushed past us to crowd the aisle when the Pope came in the processional. The little nuns stand up on chairs to get a view and no one dares to tell them to sit down, except the Gendarmerie comes by occasionally and ask them to sit, but they pop back up again.. Everyone is holding up iPhones and iPads and other cameras and until the Mass begins it is quite a circus.
Dress code is WARM. The church is unheated so make yourself cozy. Jeans are OK! And despite my frustration with the chaos, we are happy to have gone on NYE twice, once with each of the Popes, Benedict and Francesco. It was an experience!
We went to Christmas Eve Mass several years ago and I can't disagree with anything that's been said before. We got to St. Peter's hours before the doors opened, and it was a lovely experience until the doors opened. Then people got really pushy and a little ugly. We were staying in a small apartment and had already prepared to make our own meals on Christmas Day. If you're staying in a hotel, ask if any restaurants will be open on Christmas. I seem to recall that everything was closed on Christmas. Hope this helps. Have fun!
Thank you very much everyone. Looking forward to our fist Christmas in Italy!
Reading all this reminds me why I haven't gone to Ash Wednesday mass the past several years--cuz everybody and his brother comes out of the woodwork, and it's crazy town! It's wearing me out just reading all the replies here. :)
My comments aside, papal events are pretty exciting. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!
