First Sunday of Christmas
The Common Worship lectionary readings for First Sunday of Christmas in Year B, the liturgical colour, and what changes in the order of service.
Year BChristmaswhite
The readings
- First reading
- Isaiah 61:10-62:3
- Psalm
- Psalm 148
- Second reading
- Galatians 4:4-7
- Gospel
- Luke 2:22-40
Citations follow the Revised Common Lectionary as used in the Church of England's Common Worship principal service lectionary. Verse numbering can differ very slightly between Bible translations.
The liturgical colour
White is festal — Christmas, Easter, and the feasts of the Lord. Many parishes use gold on the greatest of them. On this Sunday the colour is white.
What changes in the service
The full festal shape: Gloria, Creed, and the seasonal acclamations.
In SundayHQ this is the festal template shape. You set your order of service once; when the season turns, one click applies the seasonal change and leaves the rest of your parish's own wording alone.
Hymns that fit these readings
Suggestions matched to the readings above, each with the reason it was chosen:
- Opening — O come, all ye faithful The processional the season exists for
- Gradual — Let all mortal flesh keep silence The presentation in the temple; Simeon's Nunc Dimittis
- Offertory — In the bleak midwinter 'What can I give him?' — the offertory question itself
- Communion — O little town of Bethlehem Quiet nativity at the table
- Final — Hark! the herald angels sing The one they came to sing
When it next falls
| Date | Liturgical year |
|---|---|
| 27 December 2026 | Year B |
| 30 December 2029 | Year B |
| 26 December 2032 | Year B |
| 30 December 2035 | Year B |
Year B comes round every three years. The date moves because the whole calendar hangs off Easter.
The same Sunday in the other years
Questions
What are the readings for First Sunday of Christmas in Year B?
First reading Isaiah 61:10-62:3; Psalm 148; second reading Galatians 4:4-7; Gospel Luke 2:22-40.
What colour is worn on First Sunday of Christmas?
White. White is festal — Christmas, Easter, and the feasts of the Lord. Many parishes use gold on the greatest of them.
Which season is First Sunday of Christmas in?
Christmas. The twelve days. White or gold, the Gloria restored, and the crib at the centre of the building.