The Christmas Revels is a series of live stage productions which evoke the ways in which people of different cultures and various periods of history have observed the change in the seasons marked by the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. REVELS productions seek to re-create the tone, energy and some of the customs related to the festivals various societies developed over the centuries to celebrate such end-of-the-year holidays and holy days.

It is a fact of history that for almost 400 years, the celebration of Christmas and the Yuletide season was strictly forbidden – in fact, illegal – in Scotland.  This situation was brought about by the Protestant Reformation, which began in the year 1560. When reform-minded Calvinist and Presbyterian leaders broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and established what became the Kirk (Church) of Scotland. Many of the established practices, festivals and feast days of the Catholic Church, especially those that incorporated elements borrowed from the land’s ancient Celtic religions were forbidden, including the celebration of Christmas. Eventually, over the ensuing decades, the Kirk’s level of power and influence over Scottish society increased to the point that in 1640, Scotland’s Parliament passed a law specifically making it illegal for anyone to celebrate Christmas anywhere in the land. That law remained on the books, and was more or less enforced by authorities, until 1958!

Deprived of the right to the celebrate the traditional Winter festival which had been, in one form or another, part of their culture for thousands of years, the Scottish people eventually came up with an elegant solution. Instead of illegally observing the now officially-frowned-upon Christmas and Yuletide holidays, Scots developed new customs, practices and rituals. Celebrating the passing of the Old Year and the birth of the New Year with songs, dances, poems and stories. They called the New Year’s holiday, “Hogmanay,” and this year’s Christmas Revels production in Houston will seek to evoke what a Hogmanay ceilidh (“a social gathering with music, dancing, etc.”) might have looked and sounded like, as it might have been practiced in one of the small but sturdy collages of a village in the Scottish Highlands during the Eighteenth Century.

DECEMBER 18 - 21, 2025

RUNTIME:
2 hours with 1 intermission

TICKETS:
RESERVED SEATING
$35 Regular
$17 Children 12 & under

Groups of 10+ can receive a 10% discount per ticket. Use code Revelers at checkout.

Please note that each ticket is subject to a $5 service fee at checkout.

PLAN YOUR VISIT 

🎟️ BOX OFFICE & TICKETING 

• Online sales end 30 minutes prior to curtain. After this time, tickets may be available in person at the MATCH Box Office. 
• The Box Office opens 2 hours before curtain for Will Call and walk-up sales. 
• All sales are final. No refunds or cancellations after purchase. 
• Why is there a service fee per ticket? Click here to learn more. 
• **Standby/Waiting List: If the performance that you are hoping to attend is SOLD OUT, please CLICK HERE for information on our Standby/Waiting list.

⏱️ BEFORE THE SHOW 

• MATCH Concessions opens 1 hour prior to the start of each event. 
  Enjoy a cocktail, wine, beer, or snack before the show. 
  View concessions menu. 
• Seating typically opens 30 minutes prior to curtain. 
• Please note: Some shows have a no late seating or re-entry after the performance has begun. Arrive early! 

🚗 LOCATION & PARKING: MATCH is located in Midtown Houston. Click here for directions and parking options, including garages and metered street parking.

🍽️ RESTAURANTS & BARS: Make it a night out! Click here for a curated list of nearby restaurants and bars within walking distance of MATCH.

♿ ACCESSIBILITY: MATCH is a fully accessible facility. For accessible seating or special assistance, please contact the box office in advance so we can help accommodate your needs. Click here to email the box office.