Misa de Gallo

Misa del Gallo (Spanish for "rooster's mass", also Misa de los Pastores, "shepherd's mass;" Portuguese: Missa do Galo) is the Roman Catholic name for the Mass celebrated around midnight of Christmas Eve.

History

The tradition of midnight mass on Christmas Eve was first chronicled by Egeria, the Galician woman who went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land around 381–384. She witnessed how the early Catholics of Jerusalem honored the Christmas mystery with a midnight vigil at Bethlehem, based on pagan tradition worshiping the birth of the sun god (Sol Invictus).^[1] This was followed by a torchlight procession to Jerusalem, arriving at the Church of the Resurrection at dawn.

Half a century later, Pope Sixtus III, inspired by the midnight vigil, instituted the practice of a midnight mass after the cockcrow in the grotto-like oratory of the famed Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. There are discrepancies, however, with the exact time of the cockcrow due to the fact that the ancient Romans set it at the start of the day.

In 1587, the head monk from the Convent of San Agustin Acolman, San Diego de Soria, petitioned the Pope to allow holding the mass outdoors because the church could not accommodate the large number of attendees at the evening celebration.^[2]

Misa de Gallo in different countries

The tradition of Misa de Gallo is still observed today mostly by Spanish-speaking Roman Catholic countries in Latin America and in the Philippines.

Spain

In Spain, locals begin Christmas Eve by lighting small oil lamps in every home, then proceed to church to hear Midnight Mass.^[3]

The most popular of these holy services is in the Basílica de Montserrat also known as Santa Maria de Montserrat, a Benedictine monastery built on the steep cliffs of the Montserrat mountain range. The Escolania de Montserrat, Europe's oldest boys' choir known for their angelic voices, graces the celebration.

Bolivia

Bolivians attend Christmas Eve mass, and the celebration is followed by a sit-down meal featuring a traditional bowl of picana del pollo. It is a stew^[4] made of chicken with peas, carrots, and potatoes.

Philippines

Simbáng Gabi (Tagalog for "night Mass"), is the Filipino version of the Misa de Gallo (sometimes referred to as Misa de Aguinaldo, "gift mass")^[5] and in Zamboangueño Chavacano it is only called as "Misa de Gallo" or "Misa de Aguinaldo" or "Misa de los Pastores", and traditionally begins on December 16 and ends on December 24.^[6]

The Mass usually begins at four o’clock in the morning.^[7] Pope Sixtus V ordered that Mass be heard before sunrise since it was the harvest season,^[2] and the farmers needed to be in the fields right after the celebration.^[8] Today, anticipated Simbáng Gabi is available, especially in urban areas. White is the liturgical colour authorised solely for Masses celebrated within the context of the novena; violet is used for any other Masses said during the day, as these are still considered part of the Advent season.

A well-known folk belief among Filipinos is that if a devotee completed all nine days of the Simbáng Gabi, a request made as part of the novena may be granted.^[9]

Similar to the Spanish tradition of lighting small oil lamps on Christmas Eve, Filipinos adorn their homes with paról, which are colourful star-shaped lantern. This is believed to have originally been used by worshippers to light their way to church in the early morning, as well as to symbolise the Star of Bethlehem. Paróls continue to be popular yuletide decorations in the Philippines, as iconic and emblematic as Christmas trees are in the West.

After Mass, Filipinos buy and eat holiday delicacies sold in the churchyard for breakfast. Bibingka, (rice cakes cooked above and below) and puto bumbong (steamed purple rice pastries, seasoned with butter, grated coconut, and brown sugar) are popular, often paired with tsokolate (hot chocolate from local cacao) or salabát (ginger tea).

Puerto Rico

In Puerto Rico, the Misa de Gallo is only one of a series of masses during dawn called “Misa de Aguinaldo”. The name comes from the Spanish word for “Christmas box”. The masses are held for nine days and culminate on Christmas Eve. Puerto Ricans celebrate the mass by singing Christmas songs, which they also call aguinaldos. The more religious versions of these songs are called villancicos and the ones with a Criollo inspiration are called décimas navideñas.^[10]

See also

• Rorate Coeli
• Midnight mass

References