re: People reserving seats/entire pews at major holiday masses (Catholic)

My uncle was a priest. He would be setting up folding chairs in any available space that he could right before mass on Christmas Eve/Easter to accommodate for the flood of people to ensure that everyone had a seat.

If people were holding entire rows, he would tell them there was no shame in sitting near the back, and to consider that some elderly folks might walk in late. He would just be happy to see people at mass. Needless to say, people stopped doing that in his parish.