Nativity Plays

As you have probably clocked if you have read any of my posts in the last couple of weeks, I adore the holiday season. There are hundreds of reasons for this but one of the strongest contenders is Nativity Plays; there is something incredibly endearing about little children dressing up in their fathers' shirts, putting tea towels on their heads and re-enacting the birth story of Jesus Christ.
I, being a church-goer and having once been a child myself, have been in my fair share of Nativities, my proudest moment being when I was about 7 and played the nay saying, very important role of "Figgy Pudding" in my primary school. Don't say you've never heard about the massive part a Christmas dessert played in the birth of Jesus, Mary Shmary.
I also was part of the organising team of my church's Nativity this year; I actually had to be on the stage physically steering the children around. FUN. No, seriously, I loved it.
Without sounding too creepy, I will now explain why I love Nativity Plays so much.

1) The Spiteful Child
There is always that one girl or boy who did not get the part they want- they wanted to be Mary, but they ended up being a lowly sheep for instance.
My dad was telling me a story the other day (not sure whether it is true or not) about a Nativity play where a little boy wanted to play the part of Mary's wonderful boyfy Joseph but instead received the part of the mere inkeeper so, on the night of the performance, he decided to ruin the play and when Mary and Joseph were knocking on doors looking for a place for Mary to have Jesus, the little boy just opened the door of his inn and said that he had plenty of room, so Mary and Joseph went in and the Nativity story ended there.

2) Joseph
At neither my church or my primary school did anyone ever want to play Joseph. My primary school was all-girl so no surprises there, but apparantely no-one wants to be Joseph at my church because then they have to pretend to be in love with one of the girls.
For this reason, whoever ends up as the resentful Joseph looks particularly unhappy and not at all like the father of Jesus should appear throughout the whole performance.

3) Parents
I cannot wait to be a mum and enrol my son/daughter into as many Nativity plays as I possibly can because I want to look and feel as proud as all of the parents I have witnessed watching their children in the play.
At my primary school parents used to literally be lining the aisles so that they could get the best picture of their darling angel playing... an angel.

4) Things that go Wrong
This may sound a little mean, but the mistakes that children make in Nativity plays are hilarious. Kids bumping into eachother, Shepherds dropping stuffed sheep, skirts getting rucked up, anything- all cracks me up. I know I am not the only one because I heard mulitple laughs last Sunday when they wise man threw his francincense onto Jesus and Jesus fell out of the manger.

And to top all of the above off- kids' cuteness is maximised when they are dressed up as shepherds/wise men (or wise woman, as were often featured in my school)/sheep/angels.

It is not too late to run to your nearest church to find out when their Nativity Play is and watch it. They are hilarious and adorable.

I am not a child creeper, I promise.

M x