Nativity Plays

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus. It is traditional in the UK for Primary schools to put on a Nativity Play for the parents and local people associated to the school. The Nativity Play recreates the scene of Jesus’ Birth, in the stable and tells of how Mary and Joseph were visited by the Shepherds and Wise Men. The parts of Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds and the Wise Men are played by the children. If the school is attached to a Church, the play often takes place in the Church. Sunday Schools in Churches also sometimes put on Nativity Plays.

In the past live animals, including an ox and donkey and other farm animals (but not pigs) were used in the plays. Sometimes they still are, but it is now more common for children to dress up as the animals in costumes or to have animal props.

The first Nativity Play was not performed by Children in the UK, but in a cave by Monks in Italy! St. Francis of Assisi and his followers acted in the first play in 1223 to remind the local population that Jesus was born for them, as he was born into a poor family like theirs and not a rich family.