As the festive season draws near, many primary and Sunday schools prepare for the time-honored tradition of presenting Nativity plays.
This delightful custom, surprisingly, has roots that are relatively modern.
Let’s delve into the fascinating history behind these performances.
Origins of Nativity Plays
Nativity plays are theatrical re-enactments that tell the story of the birth of Jesus Christ.
Typically staged in the weeks leading up to Christmas, these shows often occur in school gymnasiums or local churches and are performed by students and congregants alike.
The word “nativity” traces back to the Latin term “nativitas,” meaning “birth,” which made its way into English through Norman French.
While it can denote any birth, it is most commonly associated with the birth of Christ.
In medieval England, religious mystery plays emerged as a means of visually narrating biblical tales.
These productions catered especially to a largely illiterate populace, to whom reading material—particularly scriptures that were nearly always in Latin—was scarce.
Initially, monks performed these dramas in Latin, but their accessibility was limited.
Concerns about the growing popularity of these mystery plays came to a head in 1210 when Pope Innocent III issued a decree forbidding clergy from taking part in or writing these performances.
This papal intervention effectively rendered the traditional mystery plays obsolete.
Local town guilds, seizing the opportunity, took over the performances and began to write scripts in English, making them available to wider audiences.
During the Christmas season, these adaptations frequently featured the tale of Jesus’s nativity.
The Influence of St. Francis and the Reformation
The roots of the Nativity play can often be traced back to St. Francis of Assisi.
In 1223, he is credited with organizing a living nativity scene in Greccio, Italy.
According to tradition, St. Francis invited villagers to a cave where he delivered a Christmas sermon beside a rustic manger that included a live baby, donkey, and ox.
This captivating portrayal quickly gained popularity, evolving into an annual celebration and spreading throughout Europe with the assistance of Franciscan monks.
However, after the Reformation, depictions of biblical stories faced resistance in Protestant territories.
In England, for instance, Puritans went so far as to outlaw both the celebration of Christmas and Nativity plays, viewing them as acts of irreverence.
Thus, for some time, these theatrical expressions persisted only in Catholic communities.
Consequently, despite their rich history, Nativity plays in Britain saw a resurgence only in more recent times.
One key figure in the revival of Nativity plays was Laurence Housman (1865–1959).
He took a 14th-century Coventry mystery play and reimagined it as “Bethlehem,” which featured music by Joseph Moorat and included several carols.
This adaptation premiered at the University of London on December 17, 1902, and was staged over five nights.
Once published, it enabled various communities to stage their own adaptations.
In the 1920s, Housman’s creation gained immense popularity.
It debuted at the Regent Theatre in London in December 1923, where it ran for six weeks before touring the country in 1924.
This triggered a wave of local productions and revived interest in Nativity plays nationally.
The Liverpool Daily Post of 1924 observed that interest in Nativity plays, which had waned since the Reformation, was rekindling, reflecting their significance in medieval English culture.
Modern-Day Nativity Plays
The first radio broadcast of a Nativity play occurred on December 22, 1926, adapted by Rev. Bernard Walke from St. Hilary’s Church in Cornwall.
The performance featured members of the congregation and was transmitted live, garnering acclaim and becoming an annual event on the BBC’s Christmas schedule until 1936.
Housman’s script and the charm of radio broadcasts only increased the popularity of Nativity plays.
By 1932, the Bucks Examiner noted a staggering number of Nativity plays being performed in churches across the nation, indicating a growth in the religious observance of Christmas.
During World War II, village Nativity plays often integrated evacuee children into their casts, and by the 1950s, these performances became a mainstay of school and church activities throughout Britain, embracing a range of Christian denominations.
For many youngsters, taking part in a Nativity play is often their first experience on stage.
They cherish the charm, humor, and even the occasional hiccup—like forgotten lines or spontaneous improvisations.
Many adults fondly remember their roles, whether as enthusiastic innkeepers or wise men bearing quirky gifts.
Creative interpretations of the biblical story are common in these productions.
Though the Gospels of Matthew and Luke provide details about Jesus’s birth, the narratives focus primarily on Mary and Joseph’s engagement, the miraculous conception, and the announcement of Jesus’s name by angels.
They concur that Jesus was born in Bethlehem during the reign of King Herod.
Artistic liberties abound in these plays, with animals often dotting the Nativity scene, even though the Bible only mentions a manger.
While the exact number of wise men is not specified in biblical texts, tradition suggests there were three, named for their gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Additionally, plays often condense the timeline, placing the Magi’s visit alongside that of the shepherds, despite the biblical suggestion of a delay.
Today, Nativity plays continue to be a cherished custom in British primary and Sunday schools.
Children dress as angels, shepherds, wise men, Mary, Joseph, and other figures from the story.
The performances might involve narration with silent roles or include dialogue.
In smaller shows, adults often step in to fill roles or assist children portraying multiple characters.
Typically, the infant Jesus is represented by a doll.
Audiences usually include parents, grandparents, teachers, and sometimes broader church communities with family and friends.
In summary, Nativity plays have firmly established themselves in British culture, offering a significant way for those who may not regularly attend church to engage meaningfully with the biblical narrative during the Christmas season.
Source: Christian Today
