Winchester Cathedral has declared the 2025 Christmas season to be both a spiritual and commercial success.
In January the Diocese of Winchester said that it had seen “significant increases in the number of worshippers this Christmas, compared to previous years.” Some churches in the diocese reported attendance numbers up 10 per cent on previous years.
The news from Winchester served as yet another piece of anecdotal evidence that there may actually be a “quiet revival” taking place.
The idea of a “quiet revival” comes from research conducted by the Bible Society and YouGov suggesting that increasing numbers of people, particularly in Generation Z, area attending church.
While some have cast doubt on the claims of the research, many churches up and down the country have reported increased interest and turnout, suggesting that something may indeed be happening.
Following its January update, Winchester Cathedral has now said that during the course of Advent, some 25,742 people attended its various services and events.
The most popular events were carol services, which drew in over 5,590 people. Over 1,000 attended its Midnight Mass.
In addition to religious services and events, Winchester Cathedral hosted a Christmas market, with profits from the event going towards the cost of running the cathedral, which is around £14,000 per day.
Nearly 120,000 people visited the market, the vast majority of whom were locals. Footfall was four per cent up from the previous year and a fifth of the 145 traders at the event were newcomers.
Canon Roly Riem, Interim Dean of Winchester Cathedral, said, “Christmas will always be first-and-foremost about worship, about giving thanks to God for the gift of his Son Jesus, who came to bring the greenness of fresh growth to a barren earth.
"We celebrate that so many over the festivities joined in Cathedral services and those in churches throughout the Diocese of Winchester.”
