Are you a Christmas-only Catholic? What you need to know before going back to church.

If you’re one of 60& of Catholics who go to church rarely — or maybe never — but find yourself at Christmas Mass this year for family reasons or simply as an excuse to dress up and hear carols, rest assured that the familiar Nativity scene, Advent wreath with candles ablaze and priests in snow-white vestments will all be there, just as you remember them.

But if it’s been a while since you’ve occupied a pew, stay alert, as some of what’s happening in the pews may be unexpected.

Some Catholics have adopted a posture known as the Orans while saying the Our Father, raising their hands like the priest at the altar. A half-century after the U.S. bishops allowed Catholics to receive the Eucharist from the priest in their hand, some parishes have reinstalled Communion rails so the congregants can kneel together and take Communion directly on the tongue. You might also see your neighbor briefly bowing at every mention of Jesus’ name.

Religion & Politics

Photos of the Week: Christmas Celebrations

Christians wearing Santa Claus costumes participate in a Christmas parade in Lahore, Pakistan, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)

In Opinion

And finally, Yoga, meditation classes taught in Spanish offer healing to stressed communities

At the New York City yoga studios she frequented in the 2010s, Rosana Rodriguez sometimes found herself the only Latina in the room. “I felt really intimidated,” said the 58-year-old native New Yorker. Predominantly white studios and expensive monthly fees gave her and others in her community the impression that wellness spaces “weren’t for them.”

But the practice of yoga itself, Rodriguez said, saved her life. It was a consistent stress-reduction technique after an abusive relationship and losing her job.

During yoga nidra — or guided meditation in the Savasana posture, often at the end of class — Rodriguez caught herself translating what her teacher said into Spanish, sparking a “revelation.” “I wanted to bring this level of healing to my community,” she said.

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