To want a traditional nativity play for once?

[Shutthegatepeter]

This week my son has his nativity. He has already done a dress rehearsal that parents could attend so I’ve seen it, his ‘proper’ performance is on Friday evening. It’s very cute and the kids and teachers have done a great effort so I do appreciate it, it’s certainly better than no nativity at all like during covid. But I’ve noticed with all 3 of my children now that they never do a traditional nativity anymore. One year my eldest daughter didn’t do a nativity they did a ‘Christmas play’ instead with Santa and dancing teddy bears, no Mary and Joseph. Another year my middle child was a spaceman who travelled to a Christmas planet, there was a brief mention of the birth of Jesus but no Mary, Joseph, shepherds etc. This year my youngest is a Christmas tree, there is a Mary and Joseph and a basic nativity story, but there’s breakdancing kings and they sing Bruno Mars I think I want to marry you. There’s no silent night, no away in a manger. None of my 3 children know away in a manger because they’ve never sang it in their nativities, they’re always trying to spice it up and modernise it and make it different. I appreciate the thought and maybe as a one off one year it’d be nice to see something different, but it’s every year and now none of my 3 have ever done a normal nativity. I want to hear away in a manger, not Bruno mars! I’m not even religious 😂 Has anyone else had a traditional nativity or are they a thing of the past now?

Literally watched a traditional nativity at the school yesterday.
Even when I was a kid in the 90s, at a catholic school, we had non traditional Christmas plays rather than a nativity some years.

It’s just not the big deal you’re trying to make it into..

I took part in my last nativity over 20 years ago and that wasn't remotely traditional - I played a snow sergeant 🤣

So YABU in assuming this is a recent change, I guess? I don't know anyone who sang traditional songs - ours were all jazzed up poppy numbers like "Get Jesus To That Inn (Oh Yeah!)" haha.

Genuinely, what negatives are there of being a secular society? I guess the only thing I can think of off the top of my head is that you could suggest people might be more likely to commit crime if you don't think there's a higher power to answer to, but I think America puts paid to that idea...

But I may well be missing something obvious!

Love that schools are getting the blame for the perceived threat of a secular society! Nothing wrong with a secular society either, religion is personal, go to church if it's that important! Eg, USA, France etc
Because we are in the minority of countries with a state religion I think parents hope that it rubs off on their children at school somehow without them having to do anything about it themselves.

I can't imagine one without a First Lobster. Eight is a lot of legs David.

I suspect it’s to include children from all faiths and backgrounds and if it’s a secular school then that makes total sense. My DC went to a CofE primary and the nativity in KS1 was always very traditional but then the local vicar was always in attendance so I don’t think anything else would suffice.

KS2 they were more relaxed and did some quite fun plays actually including one about Christmas traditions throughout different eras. Had children in 80s gear dancing to wham, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Why don't you volunteer to direct the play next year? If you have an artistic vision - why not make it real? I'm sure the school would be grateful to have enthusiastic people taking the work off their plates!

@spiderlight
‘Hitlers 2nd Lieutenant’ 😂😂😂

I am a christian, and I don't mind a different take on the nativity, but I do think that schools sometimes forget that they need to know the actual story first, and then do a variation (I've seen ones from the shepherd's point of view and the littlest angel etc)
So in my mind, reception/year 1 stick to the story, any other year, have dancing snowmen if you like.

But you are definitely BU about away in a manger. It is possibly the worst song ever written and is a horrible dirge. There are loads of good carols and christmas songs. Away in the manger is not part of the original story, let's ditch it and use a nice song instead.

At our little village primary, the Reception and Year 1 children did the traditional nativity as they are so cute in their tea-towel head dresses etc and it can be a short play. But the rest of the school did Christmassy plays so, Years 2, 3 and 4 did a joint one and so did Years 5 and 6. It worked well.

or not, because it is such an awful song to s boring tune.
We tend to sing better songs in our Sunday school!

Yes perhaps not - most Sunday schools I’ve been in would sing Away in a Manger at Christmas! Either way, if you’re extremely dedicated to a ‘traditional nativity’ and religious carols for your kids, Sunday school would be the place!

My daughter did a traditional nativity play in nursery and never since (she's now 12). It was so lovely. I absolutely detest "putting a modern twist" on everything - including hip hop music in a film about Elvis Presley!

I love Away in a Manger. It's a beautiful song

Find out when your local church's crib service is (often Christmas Eve). These are family services with the traditional songs.

My girls are older but did a mixture of traditional and novelty Nativity plays. I loved them all. The youngest was Mary one year (when she was in Y2 I think) and was thrilled, it was such an honour to be picked as Mary - she was the envy of all the other girls!

She then started rehearsals and came home outraged as being Mary was totally boring. “All you do is sit next to Joseph holding the plastic baby. You don’t even say anything!” She much preferred being an angel as she got to wear tinsel on her head….

Off topic slightly but why on Earth are they singing Bruno Mars’ Marry You in a Christmas play?!? Have they even listened to the lyrics? It’s about getting wasted in Vegas and getting married for a laugh!

Our Nursery/Reception class does The Nativity every year. Cue many complaints, from parents, because their child would be a better Mary/Joseph than those chosen. Plus lots of, “Where am I supposed to get a costume from? How do they think I can afford 2 costumes that will be worn once?” Yet, whenever we have suggested a home made costume will be fine (better really) or no Christmas play in favour of a whole school choir/concert, it’s met with, “That’s ridiculous! All children love their Christmas play”. Schools can’t win, really.

I have class 5 this year and the music/drama teacher is responsible for their class play 🙏
It’s something about Jack Frost. The children are all very excited and enthusiastic. I can’t wait to see it!

I love a traditional nativity. My kids attend a tiny (50 children in the whole school) non-religious rural community school. Whilst not everything about attending a tiny school is perfect, it's fantastic that the school don't have to water down Christmas in case anyone is offended. Most people are not actively religious but appreciate the beauty of continuing local traditions just as we would when looking at other peoples cultural traditions and practices.

There are ways of being inclusive. I went to one where there were several Marys who took turns.

Off topic slightly but why on Earth are they singing Bruno Mars’ Marry You in a Christmas play?!? Have they even listened to the lyrics? It’s about getting wasted in Vegas and getting married for a laugh!

It's not just some of the pop songs lyrics being unsuitable - it's also the sort of assumption that kids today will only like pop songs.

When I went to C of E primary - despite atheist parents because it was only school in the village - we went into assemblies with variety music playing often but not always classical and then we sang hymns - some very rabble rousing ones. It was just a way of broadening our musical horizons.

But yes there are ways for us as parents to do that though we have also had to do more maths, reading and spelling work at home then our parents or we as kids ever had to do - symptom perhaps of so much being shoved at schools these days.

In our village primary it was the youngest three classes who performed the traditional nativity play, followed by the older classes doing a secular Christmas play, eg involving Santa and the elves.
One year the nativity was performed as if through the eyes of the animals present, and the tinies sang some lovely songs including the “camel calypso, bringing the Kings from afar”, as well as carols such as Little Donkey. It was delightful.

@steppemum - Totally agree about “Away in a manger”! It’s a terrible song. Traditional, but not very joyful and a bit of a dirge. And the words are awful too “the little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes”?

I also struggle with the words in a secular setting. I am all for everyone knowing the story of Christmas, and so doing a nativity, but the words of away in a manger have lines like - I love thee Lord Jesus, which is just not appropriate to ask a class full of children to sing.

Go along to a local church and join in. I am leading a ‘Pop Up nativity’ this Sunday - just turn up , get given a costume and follow the instructions. Lots of fun and very faithful to the Bible story with lots of carols. Have a look locally to see if you can find something similar.