Christmas traditions: interesting facts about the nativity scene

One thing unites the Christmas event - both before and now, the main worshipers of nativity scenes are children. An abundance of colors, a fun masquerade, songs and guests - how can you not want to participate in this?!

However, a holiday that takes time and effort to prepare is good. After all, there are also people among your acquaintances who say: "What kind of carolers have gone? They ring the doorbell, they only know "Give me a fiver, uncle" - and they still require guests! We, of course, will not be like such careless people and will prepare for Christmas properly.

WHAT CAN YOU TELL A CHILD ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE NURSERY

Explain that the incomprehensible word "nativity scene" is of our, Old Slavic origin. And at first it denoted the place, the cave, where Christ was born. Therefore, special portable boxes in which dolls were placed - the heroes of the Christmas story: the baby, the Virgin Mary, Joseph, the three kings, animals and shepherds - were later called nativity scenes.

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Tell me that a living nativity scene is still the same puppet show, only the roles here are played by people. Its purpose is to remind everyone around about the meaning of the Christmas holiday and to delight the audience on this bright day.

Brightly painted, decorated with ribbons and other details, stars with an even number of rays are a mandatory attribute of nativity scenes. They symbolize the star that brought the news to the Magi about the birth of Christ.

CHARACTERS AND PLOT OF UKRAINIAN NURSERY

It is precisely because of the connection with the Christmas story that a traditional set of characters is always present in the nativity scene. This is King Herod, his soldiers, the three kings who brought gifts to the baby, shepherds who were the first to learn about the birth of Christ, an Angel, the Devil, Death, a Gypsy or a Jew and his wife and the like.

It is an excellent idea to show the child a video recording of the live nativity scene in advance. If he will participate in this action, it will help to better prepare for the role. If you intend to be spectators at Christmas (especially for the first time), such foresight will allow the baby not to be frightened and to understand what is happening.

Say that the nursery rhyme usually consists of two parts. The first is a staging of the biblical plot of the birth of Christ: King Herod orders his soldiers to destroy the children, but angels and shepherdesses protect them. For this, Death and the Devil take Herod to hell, and during the entire "performance" the Jew and his wife, the main comic characters, dilute the seriousness of the situation with their quarrels.

Source: pixabay