I went to Christmas Mass December 25
I just went to Christmas mass at the big Christian church here in Savanekhet. It was odd. Good, but odd. And very, very long.
A middle-aged french woman who’s staying at the same hostel as me and I went to the church around 8am. The church was maybe half full, and they were already practising singing that day’s music. The priest was dressed in full white robes with plain white rope sash. He was a portly man, or at least portly for a Laos man (which isn’t very). He was really drilling them on getting the hymn right, harmony and everything, and so the mass started late.
The church surely dates back to the french colonization, and reminds me of pictures I see of country churches in Spain. It has a big wide, though unmaintained, avenue leading up to it, and is a huge, vaulted ceiling affair with columns and the works. But is also slightly run down. Outside is a formidable grotto with small creche and decorations (complete with random poster-backdrop of a swiss mountain village). Inside was a nice little christmas tree, complete with ornaments and little santa claus. And then, on either side of the alter, were framed pictures of jesus, with flashing LED halos, like you see at garage sales and kitchy roadside stalls. Pretty amusing.
Before the service, during the intro hymn, the priest took confessions, behind a small, portable confessional (nothign more than a divider). From where I was sitting, I could see both sides. Very interesting…
The service itself involved lots of singing, and my personal favorite, a Laos style offering, where representatives from various famlies processioned down the aisle bear the traditional Laos offerings bowls (which I’ve only ever seen at buddist festivals before), ladden with everything from fruit to bread to Milo (hot chocolate). I wonder if Christ would like Milo…
Plus, the best part were the money offerings, a Laos tradition that involves some sort of pole stand from which hangs streamers of money, often folded into various shapes. Sort of like monetary origami. I guess when you have relatively low denomination money, you can do things like that(the highest here is 20,000 kip, about $2, and the highest you usually see in circulation is 5,000 kip). It definitely had a different feel, as it was a lot less anonymous than the western way.
All the representatives (about 20 or so), processioned down the aisle, up on to the raised area by the alter, knelt, and made their offering in prayer as the priest blessed them.
The mass itself was pretty uneventful, besides a very rude chinese tourist wandering right during communion, camera gear and tanktop and all, who ended up at the very front, standing on a pew, taking pictures. I was horrified, and said something to him afterwards, but I’m pretty sure he didn’t understand. It’s people like that that give tourists a bad name.
I’m sticking around in Savanekhet tonight. Going to try making eggnog, and maybe mulled wine. Provided I can find necessary ingredients. We’ll see:)