Celine Byrne by Brandon Scott
Soprano Celine Byrne has insisted that faith must be at the centre of Christmas celebrations, despite all the distractions.
Speaking on RTÉ Lyric FM’s Marty in the Morning, Ms Byrne said that Mass is a huge part of her family Christmas.
“I go to the church and light candles,” Ms Byrne told presenter Marty Whelean. “I’ll be singing at three Masses on Christmas day. They’ll all be in different parishes. It’s lovely to bring the kids up towards the manger and sing Away in a Manger and to let them know the importance of Christmas is that Jesus is the reason for the season.”
Reflecting on Ms Byrne’s comments, Marty Whelan added that he agreed with Jesus being at the forefront of the festive celebrations and voiced his chagrin at where the emphasis is currently placed during the Christmas period. “We all do it [light candles at church]; even if your faith is shaky as it is for some people, you still go and do that because you’re remembering them.
“That’s why I can’t stand ‘xmas’,” he said. “It does my head in. What’s that about? If you’re going to celebrate the reason for the event, that’s the reason for the event,” he insisted.