Christmas Eve The Church of Scotland no longer holds Hogmanay services on New Year's Eve, however. The Christmas Eve Services are still very popular. On Christmas Eve, the Christ Candle in the center of the Advent wreath is traditionally lit in many church services. In candlelight services, while singing "Silent Night", each member of the congregation receives a candle and passes along their flame which is first received from the Christ Candle. Lutherans traditionally practice Christmas Eve Eucharistic traditions typical of Germany and Scandinavia. "Krippenspiele" (Nativity plays), special festive music for organ, vocal and brass choirs and candlelight services make Christmas Eve
New Year's Eve with a year number displayed on the observatory at the stroke of midnight. Three notable music-oriented television specials air near New Year's Eve. Since 1951, NHK has traditionally broadcast "Kōhaku Uta Gassen" ("Red and White Song Battle") on New Year's Eve, a music competition where two teams of popular musicians (the red and white teams, which predominantly contain female and male performers respectively) perform songs, with the winning team determined by a panel of judges and viewer votes. The special is traditionally one of the most-watched television programs of the year in Japan. Although it did air on 31 December