What's Missing This Christmas?

Last week I went along to Little Dudes Christmas 'Performance' at his school. As this is a school with a 'Christian ethos' I wondered why they didn't just do the old fashioned thing and call it a nativity play. I still don't understand why we have to be embarrassed to call it that. Every school 'performance' I've been to over the years have had the nativity as its focus embedded amongst other bits of light entertainment.

Anyway, this year Little Dude was a shepherd and had one line to deliver. "but how will we know it's Him?"

I had a nasty flashback to my own 'nativity' performance many moons ago as I prepared his outfit and practiced his line with him. My Mum was responsible for scarring me for life over this event. I was also a shepherd and if I remember rightly also had to say just one line, something like "look yonder, a bright shining star".

Mum wasn't always the best at dressing me up, and I suppose like me, often left things to the last minute and then grabbed whatever was at hand. Maybe the morning of my nativity play she had used up all the striped tea towels and had nothing else suitable to wrap around my head. Then rummaged in the airing cupboard and came out with an old grey nappy.

Probably a floorcloth in waiting!

I was sent off to school to experience the first performance of my life on stage in front of a load of people and I had to wear an old grey nappy on my head. Even at the tender age of six, I remember being mortified. Thanks Mum!

There was no way on earth that my son would have to live through that, so I managed to rustle together a suitable shepherd outfit complete with co-ordinating striped tea towel. This picture is the only one I took as they were on and off the stage in a flash. LD is in the middle of this bunch.

I really enjoyed the 'performance'. It was one of the best I've seen. It was a joint effort of a very talented music teacher and group of staff who spent hours making sure it all fitted together - bearing in mind a whole week of rehearsals had to be cancelled due to snow and school closure.

The title was 'Put Christ Back in to Christmas' and included local market scenes, a tardis, Professor Balthazar and the usual scattering of angels, wise men, shepherds and parents to be. The songs were foot tappingly good and were accompanied by various 'musicians' who tried very hard to stay in tune. Although I have to say, one of the trumpet players was either tone deaf or had stood in for someone off sick!

The final song was Away in A Manger - one of my favourite carols and brought a lump to my throat as all the children sang so beautifully.

I have to say, I did go away wishing that everything was less commercial and more traditional. How can we be more traditional though when we are forced to remove the 'nativity' from Christmas, call it 'the holidays' and spend a small fortune on plastic crap and glitter just to be seen to be good parents.

Oh well, the clock is ticking and I still have lots of presents to buy.