Nativity Plays

Most people will have memories of the annual school nativity play, whether it is of their own role in one, or watching their children or grandchildren perform. (Or even producing one as a teacher!) This year school productions will be very limited and are unlikely to be offered to a live audience in the same way. 

"Our Nativity Play" by Eric Finney 

It went pretty well, our Nativity play, 

In front of the mums in the hall. 

Though it wasn’t quite perfect,our teacher Miss May 

 Said that slip -ups weren’t noticed at all. 

It’s a pity the innkeeper’s wife is away 

With pains in her head and her turn; 

Sally Ann took the part and forgot what to say- 

She stood there just sucking her thumb. 

Still,it wasn’t too bad our nativity show: 

Our mum seemed to like it a lot 

When a king dropped his casket on Josephs big toe, 

and he called them a clumsy great clot! 

All the angels were great;in the whitest attire 

They came on in a great ghostly group, 

But Sandra’s right wing fluttered clean off it’s wire 

And her other wing started to droop. 

The boss of the shepherds was Christopher Powell: 

His costume was tight ‘cos he’s fat, 

So he cut a great slit in his mum’s stripy towel - 

I bet he got walloped for that. 

All the audience clapped our Nativity play; 

I don’t know what that kid in the choir meant 

When he said that he thought our teacher Miss May 

Ought to think about early retirement. 

Well there were a few slip- ups perhaps on the day. 

But they just didn’t matter at all 

When mary sang Jesus asleep on the hay 

And we all gathered round in the stall.

History of Nativity Plays

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus. The word nativity comes from the latin word 'natal' which means birth (and is also where we get the word 'native' from). 

The first Nativity Play was performed in a cave by monks in Italy by St. Francis of Assisi and his followers 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 to a rich family. St. Francis told the part of each character in the story himself using wooden figures in the play. After a couple of years, the play had become so popular that real people played the parts of the characters in the story and songs were sung by the people taking part which eventually became what we call Christmas carols today! 

Wooden figures are now used in crib scenes in many churches, and also in people's homes to tell the story of the birth of Jesus. Our Christmas Tree Festival even has it's own nativity, and it has become a tradition for visiting children to find the characters for the nativity amongst the trees in the church. 

Here are our choral scholars from Framlingham College singing "O little town of Bethlehem". Hopefully next year you can enjoy carols and Christmas trees in the church!