Tried and True Nativity Traditions

I love traditions! I love that they not only focus on Christmas but they also focus on family. I have a feeling that as my children begin to leave home, we will build and develop new family traditions to add to the ones we already have. But here is on of my favorite traditions that we do every year.

The nativity story is almost magical. It is so deeply reverent and miraculous that it inspires a great sense of gratitude to a loving Heavenly Father who loves us enough to allow His precious Son to pay the price for our mistakes so that we can return one day to live with Him again. That said, our tradition focuses on this story. Each Christmas eve the kids dress up in Bethlehem attire to act out the birth of their Savior. Each year they work out the parts they will play and dress up accordingly. This year, though it is hard to tell because it kind of looks like she is wearing a cape, Beth chose to be the donkey. It's a lot of fun for Mary to ride into the room on her 'donkey' so we love to have that part played.


Joseph (played by Naomi) helps Mary (Breanna) off the donkey (Beth)

So precious - Mary looks tenderly at baby Jesus.

 Melodee - our shepherd - hastening to Jerusalem to see the baby Jesus.

  Group shot: Melodee (shepherd), Naomi (Joseph),  Charity (angel), Breanna (Mary), Beth (donkey), Myles (wiseman)

 Alisha who played the part of spectator, joins in the group shot. Chad read the story and I played the Christmas music in the background.

I love that many of the actions and parts that the kids fill are things that they have seen depicted in the Grassy Lake Ward pageant which up until this year, has been one of our favorite Christmas traditions. However, since the Grassy Lake ward was dissolved this year, there is no more Grassy Lake pageant - making our own family nativity all the more precious to us. What a joy it is to remember this sacred Christmas story together as a family.