The story of the Nativity for children: origin, traditions

Christmas is one of the most important holidays for every Christian. It is celebrated by the whole family and children take an active part in the celebration. Curious kids will probably be interested in knowing what this event is, why it is celebrated and what Christmas traditions mean. For a child to understand how important this day is, he should tell the story of the Nativity of Christ for children. It is important to convey to your child the history of this great day in a form that will be close and understandable to him. It is the adapted version of the Christmas story that will help the child understand the essence of the holiday, because the traditional adult version described in the Bible may be too difficult for him to understand.

You can accompany your story with illustrations from the children's Bible if the child does not yet know how to read.

It’s better to start the story with a story about the main character of the holiday.

Christmas Eve

The last day of Lent and before Christmas Day is usually called Christmas Eve. To be more precise, this is the evening before the holiday. Christmas Eve occurs not only before Christmas, but Christmas Eve is the most revered day by Christians. On this day we were intensively preparing for the celebration of Christmas.

The name of Christmas Eve comes from the name of the dish - sochivo. Sochivo is made from grains - barley, rice, wheat. Cereals are boiled and soaked with poppy seeds, nuts, and fruits. No butter was added on Christmas Eve, because it was still a day of fasting, and to make the dish more tasty and satisfying, they put a little honey in it.

They also put other dishes on the table on Christmas Eve. There should have been 12 of them - as many as Jesus had apostles. In addition, all dishes for Christmas Eve should be lean, because the Nativity Fast is still ongoing.

Christmas traditions

This day is famous for its traditions, which have become a little forgotten, but now everyone is trying to remember them and observe them, because these traditions unite families, make them friendlier, and make Christmas itself long-awaited, bright and unforgettable.

In fact, there are a lot of such traditions and they differ in each region, but there are several basic ones that are observed by many people.

Christmas tree

Decorating a tree is not such a long-standing tradition. It appeared a long time ago, but was finally established a little more than a hundred years ago. Now many people associate the Christmas tree with the New Year, but originally the tree was decorated for Christmas. The first Christmas trees were decorated not with balls, but with apples, gingerbread cookies, bells, and small candles. Each of the decorations had its own meaning and purpose. And the main decoration of the tree - the star at the top symbolizes the very star of Bethlehem that announced the birth of Jesus.

Carols

Mostly children and young people sang carols; they went from house to house and sang carols, and the owners had to thank them. It was believed that the more carolers who came to the house, the better and happier the whole next year would be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWKRoHE012Y

This tradition is still observed today, although not on such a scale as before. But preserving traditions brings families together and helps preserve the connection between generations, so it is necessary to tell children about the holiday of the Nativity of Christ; the story for children about this holiday should be heard in every home.

Dinner with family and godparents

Christmas is a family holiday and on this day the whole family gathers at one table. Children also bring treats to their godparents. This tradition differs in different regions, but the godparents always take dinner after dinner with their parents. And the godparents, in turn, give the godchildren sweets, money, and gifts.

Kutya

Sweet, made from wheat, rice or other grains - this is a real treat for children. For Christmas Eve they prepare hungry, Lenten kutya or, as it is also called, sochivo. This kutia is liquid, without butter and milk. At Christmas, it is customary to prepare rich kutya with milk and butter.

Dried fruits and chocolate are also added to kutya.

How to celebrate the holiday: entertainment for families with children

It’s better to spend the holiday with your family: exchange gifts, make Christmas crafts with your children, taste a festive dinner prepared with loved ones, and after eating, get together to watch a good movie or entertain your family with funny games!

Christmas presents

At Christmas, as a rule, it is customary to give symbolic and pleasant gifts. It should be something special that will remind you of your kindness and love:

Candles

One of the main attributes of Christmas. This is a symbol of faith and warmth.

Christmas sweets

Lately we've been getting a lot of treats from Western culture: gingerbread cookies, gingerbread houses and candy canes. If Russian traditions are closer to you, then you can bake sweet pies or make candied fruits. If possible and desired, it is ideal to prepare such gifts with your own hands.

Souvenirs

These could be bells or decorative elements to decorate your home for Christmas, a composition of fir branches, an edible bouquet or a Christmas-themed photo frame. The choice of such souvenirs these days is limitless.

Articles of Faith

The Bible and spiritual books, icons or figurines of angels - here it is important to know how the person to whom you want to give a gift feels about Christmas and faith.

Warm cozy things, knitted or sewn by yourself

A sweater, fluffy scarf or warm socks will please both men and women.

Children's gifts

I would like to give special attention and warmth to children at Christmas. Educational toys are suitable for kids, and arts and crafts kits, board games or cute little things, such as a glass ball with a Christmas motif and music, are suitable for older children.

greeting card

In the age of social media, real postcards with good wishes written in your own hand are a wonderful way to convey a piece of your warmth to someone else.

Christmas entertainment

Regardless of age, have a fun Christmas time: sleds, skates, skis - each family member can choose something different. For less active people and small children, invite them to build a snowman or a real ice fortress. In any case, the pleasure of spending time together in the fresh air is guaranteed!

After the festive dinner, you can have fun with the whole family. Prepare your favorite board games, competitions, charades.

We offer several exciting and fun games that are ideal for Christmas evening and will appeal to both adults and children.

12 months

Each participant makes a wish for a month and depicts it: in a drawing or in pantomime. The rest try to guess the month and the events shown.

Looking for surprises

In the room where the holiday is taking place and the Christmas tree stands, little amenities are hidden: souvenirs, sweets, gingerbread cookies, pine cones, nuts, toys. Participants go on a treasure hunt. The one who collects the most items wins.

Snowball

The one with the better memory will win here. The first participant says: “In Santa Claus’s bag...” (and names any item: a toy, a gift, or something funny). Each subsequent participant lists the items named before him and adds one of his own. You can play endlessly, or until someone gets completely confused. In any case, fun is guaranteed for everyone.

If you have small children, after the Christmas feast you can read the Bible with them or do something creative. With older children, you can plan a family Christmas game night, attend a church service, sing carols, or walk around the city among the Christmas lights. The point is to be with your family and loved ones at such a moment, and not with gadgets.

Christmas movies for the whole family

Watching a good Christmas movie will help while away a frosty winter evening after a fun day and bring the family together. We bring to your attention a small selection of films that will definitely not disappoint you:

"Miracle on 34th Street", 1947, dir. George Seaton

The story is about a little girl who dreams of setting her mother up with a lonely lawyer. In this she will be helped by Santa Claus, however, not the one who gives joy at Christmas with reindeer and bells, but a disguised actor who ended up in a psychiatrist and in the dock for the action of the film. How will all this turn out and will the little but very skeptical girl believe in miracles?

"Curly Sue", 1991, dir. John Hughes

A film from the creator of the film masterpiece “Home Alone” cannot a priori be boring. This is the story of a tramp who took into his care the little orphan Sue. Together with his friends, in the hope of “earning extra money,” he commits a crime and falls into the tenacious hands of the iron lady, lawyer Gray Allison. But at Christmas, what started out as a scam can turn into true love and family.

"Lost Christmas", 2011, dir. John Hay

A Christmas story about a boy named Gus who stole his father's car keys. An ordinary little prank led to dire consequences for many people. The wizard Anthony comes to the boy’s aid, but the problem is that he doesn’t even remember his name.

The Chronicles of Narnia film series based on the novels by C.S. Lewis

The exciting plot reveals deep Christian meanings. The film, like Lewis’s works themselves, is aimed at children who are already familiar with Scripture and are able to relate the film’s plot to the original source.

"Eloise 2: Christmas", 2003, dir. Kevin Lima

Remember Kevin McCallister? Meet his “twin” in female form – Eloise, who found herself alone in a hotel during the winter holidays. While her mother returns to her from a trip, her daughter must manage to upset someone else’s wedding and organize another. Parents will be amused by Eloise's mischief, and children will be delighted by her responsiveness and kindness.

Books for children about Christmas

We have selected for our readers several books that can easily claim to be the favorite works of children of all ages:

"The Little Match Girl" and other fairy tales by Andersen

The famous author has many “winter” works, the plot of which takes place during the magical Christmas time. “The Snow Queen”, “Spruce” and “The Little Match Girl” will be appreciated by both adults and children. These touching tales are designed to make us all a little kinder.

“Blue Bird”, M. Maeterlinck

A story full of kindness and faith in Man. On a mysterious Christmas night, a fairy comes to the woodcutter's children Tiltil and Mytil and asks for their help - to find a blue bird that will help cure her seriously ill granddaughter. Brother and sister go in search of a mysterious bird, as a result of which they find themselves in a strange memory, where unusual encounters and adventures await them.

“Journey of the Blue Arrow”, D. Rodari

The touching story of little Francesco, who dreams of the Blue Arrow train. A boy from a poor family was left without a desired gift on Christmas. One day the toys saw Francesco crying and... came to him themselves. The fairy tale teaches us to think not only about ourselves, but also to help those in need.

"How the Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr. Seuss

The famous story of the ever-disgruntled monster Grinch, who is annoyed by cheerful people. On the eve of the holiday, the green hermit decides to steal Christmas gifts, taking away people's joy. However, in the end the villain realizes that happiness does not lie in gifts...

“Christmas Porridge”, S. Nordqvist

A long time ago in Sweden, at Christmas time there was a good tradition of leaving a bowl of porridge for the gnomes living in the house (akin to Russian brownies). If a family leaves their little neighbors with nothing, they will get themselves into trouble. Unfortunately, recently people have begun to forget about this custom. And on the eve of Christmas, the gnome dad is seriously concerned that the owners of the house will leave his family without a hearty lunch for the holiday. You will learn about what a small but very resourceful family will do by reading this book.

Miracle of Christmas

It is believed that at Christmas the heavens open and you can ask them for anything. The main thing is that the desire is sincere and bright.

On the night before Christmas and on Christmas day, miracles happen: people are healed of illnesses, their innermost dreams come true. But in order for a miracle to happen, you must believe in it. It is important for children to instill this faith in miracles, with which it is easier to go through life and overcome difficulties. Therefore, you need to tell your kids about Christmas, the story of the holiday for children should sound like a fairy tale, a good, kind fairy tale that the child will believe in and his soul will become a little warmer and brighter)))