One of my favorite Christmas traditions is attending the live presentation of the Nativity at my in-law’s parish.
I hope you enjoy this “live” blogging event.
Before the Nativity starts, the kids get to pet the animals in a gated area. My daughter loves the goats.
The presentation starts with the cantor singing “The First Noel” and the procession of Mary and Joseph to a makeshift manger.
And no Nativity would be complete without shephards and bleating goats. Oh, don’t let me forget the Llama! (It’s Arizona, afterall.)
The story of the Nativity is told, with a reminder that St. Francis of Asissi conducted the first re-enactment of the Nativity. Again, the cantor sings “Away in a Manger” and the priest reads from the Gospel of Luke.
The deacon then reminds the gathering of the simple nature of Jesus’ birth and a reminder how much He loved us to come down to die for us.
Just so you know, Mormons do not have a monopoly on good food at gatherings. After the Nativity, we have chili, hot dogs and hot chocolate in the parish hall.
What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions, or Nativity re-enactment stories?
Our new Christmas tradition is to travel during Thanksgiving weekend and cut our own Christmas tree. There is a farm near our house that take you into the field on a tractor (lots of fun for the kids) and serves hot cider and cookies. We tie the tree to the car and then drive back home, where we set it up and start decorating. My wife is the champion Christmas decorator.
I am in the Young Men’s organization, and we are organizing caroling for the older single women (widows mostly) in our ward. We will do a hay ride and travel from home to home with a bevy of young men and women.
That does sound like fun. Not much snow in the Phoenix area and I am using a fake tree this year. I’m jealous!!
This is awesome!!
Brian, it’s minus 18 degrees F today in Colorado. I don’t think anybody will be doing any live nativity scenes here. Yikes!
What a great site you’ve got here. I loved this post about keepin Christ in Christmas.
I have recently created a new site called “AboutTheMormons.com” on which members who don’t have their own personal blog can post their testimonies and others can ask questions to the members themselves.
I was wondering if I could get any promotion on your site either through a post or by adding me to your link library. Any help in spreading the word about this site would be great. Thanks and good luck in everything!
Geoff B., I beg to differ. I’m in chilly Colorado, and as far as I know, the Bethlehem Lutheran Church across the street from me will hold its annual outdoor live nativity this Sunday night. It is set up as a drive-thru, so the observers can come in their cars; the stable (the summer picnic shelter) is lined with bales of hay, and heaters keep the actors warmish, while the observers stay in the shelter of their cars.