The Roark family’s Christmas Eve tradition is an at-home reenactment of the first Christmas. They use figures from the nativity scene, light candles and let family members, including the kids, take on the roles. Try their script at your house.
READ MORE: The Christmas Story in 5 Bible Passages
THE FIRST CHRISTMAS
A play in two acts
| CHARACTERS
NARRATOR … Jerry PROPS Candles |
ACT ONE
(A cleared dinner table. Wait until it gets dark out. Hand every
character a candle and Nativity figurine. Turn off the lights.
NARRATOR lights their candle and begins reading from Luke 2.)
NARRATOR
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.
(NARRATOR lights JOSEPH’s candle using their lit candle.)
NARRATOR
So JOSEPH also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.
(JOSEPH lights MARY’s candle.)
NARRATOR
He went there to register with MARY, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn a son.
(MARY lights JESUS’ candle.)
NARRATOR
She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger.
(MARY wraps Jesus figurine from the Nativity scene in
cloth napkin and places him back in the manger.)
NARRATOR
Because there was no guest room available for them.
(JESUS lights one SHEPHERD’s candle. That SHEPHERD
lights the other SHEPHERDS’ candles.)
NARRATOR
And there were SHEPHERDS living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
(SHEPHERD lights ANGEL’s candle. That
ANGEL lights the other ANGELS’ candles.)
NARRATOR
An ANGEL of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the ANGEL said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.
(Everyone sings Joy to the World.)
NARRATOR
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you. You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the ANGEL, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
NARRATOR
When the ANGEL had left them and gone into heaven, the SHEPHERDS said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found MARY and JOSEPH, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
(MARY and JOSEPH blow out candles.)
NARRATOR
But MARY treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The SHEPHERDS returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
(SHEPHERDS blow out their candles.)
End of Act One
ACT TWO
(NARRATOR lights the MAGI and KING HEROD
candles and reads from Matthew 2.)
NARRATOR
After JESUS was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of KING HEROD, MAGI from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
When KING HEROD heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Then HEROD called the MAGI secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
(KING HEROD blows out candle.)
NARRATOR
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
(NARRATOR lights MARY and JESUS’ candles.)
NARRATOR
On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother MARY, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
(MARY blows out candle.)
NARRATOR
And having been warned in a dream not to go back to HEROD, they returned to their country by another route.
(WISE MEN blow out candle, leaving only
JESUS’ candle lit. Everyone sings Silent Night.)
End of Act Two
