The Nativity Story as it is currently told relies on two gospels and a lot of medieval tradition. As christianity has no prohibition on religous images (except in some of the most extreme protestant denominations) the story is told in pictures from churches all over the Christian world. This week is the last week of the school term before the Holidays so it wil also be told as a play acted by primary school children in almost every school in the country and many churches. Model representation are also very popular often carved in wood and used both inside and outside.
Mary was a young woman espoused (married but not yet claimed to live with him and consumate tne marriage) to an older man , Joseph. The angel Gabriel appeared to her and told her she was to give birth to the Son of God. She questioned how she could give birth whilst still a vigin but conceived on hearing the Angels word. When Joseph heard of her condition he intended to repudiate the marriage but an Angel appeared to him and explained the nature of the child.
The couple lived in Nazareth where Joseph worked as a carpenter but towards the end of Mary's pregnacy had to travel to Bethlehem for a census. When they got to Bethlehem the inns were full and they were turned away until one innkeeper took pity on themand offered a place in his stable. Mary was confined in the stable and laid the baby Jesus to sleep in a manger as a crib with an ox and ass watching.
Some shepberds were watching their flocks in the country near Bethlelem when an angel appeared to them and told them that the #Son of God had been born and they went to the stable to worship him and gave him a lamb as an offering.
Meanwhile in the East some wise men saw a new star a decided to follow it because it signified the birth of a King. The star moved before them and guided them first to Jerusalem where the saw King Herod the then ruler of the Jews and asked him where the new King was born. Herod asked them to tell him of the new kig whom he regarded as a userper. The star then guided them to Bethlehem were they too worshiped Jesus bringing him gifts of Gold(signifyinh he was a king), Frankincense, (signifying he was god) and Myrrh(presaging his death at the crucifixion). In many representations the 3 wise men are themselves 3 Kings representing kingdoms in Europe, Asia and Africa and are called Caspar, Balthasar, and Melchior respectively. The Magi decided not to tell Herod about Jesus and went home a different way.
Joseph had a dream telling him King hHerod wanted to kill Jesus and the family went to Egypt and lived there for 2 years before returning to Nazareth. Meanwhile Herod killed every male child in the Kingdom under 2.
The Massacre of the Innocents is usually left out of the school plays but the rest of it is acted out with the children each playing a part whether a main speaking part or standing in the background being an angel or an ox, ass or camel. When sweetheart was young I used to dread the letter home saying your child has been chosen to play..... and must have a costume by...because sewing was never my strong point; although I did get my revenge in her last year at primary school when I had to provide a palestinian villager costume and sent 2 different rectangles of material and a length of rope with instructions on how to tie a sari and a habib. Nowadays supermarkets have racks of angel, sheep and donkey outfits for small children in early December.
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