Christmas is an annual Christian holiday celebrated on Dec 25th that marks and honours the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. The story of Christmas (the nativity story) is based on the biblical accounts given in the gospel of Matthew and Luke.

What is the nativity story?
The nativity story tells of Mary and Joseph. One day an angel appeared to Mary and told her she had been chosen to have a special baby. The baby would be God's son and she must call him Jesus. Mary and Joseph got married and near the time the baby was due they were forced to go on a long journey to Bethlehem. As Mary was pregnant she couldn't walk and the only transport they could afford was a donkey, so the little donkey carried Mary all the way to Bethlehem.

When Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem it was crowded with other people who had also been forced to leave their homes. Mary was very tired and she knew that baby Jesus would soon be born so they needed a place to stay urgently. They searched for half the night but all the inns were full. Then, when they had nearly given up hope, a kind innkeeper who saw that Mary was pregnant, took pity on them and although all the rooms were full, said they could stay in his stable. He kept his animals there but at least they would have shelter from the cold.

A few hours later Jesus was born and as the animals looked on, Mary wrapped him up and laid him to sleep in a manger.

When Jesus was born a new star appeared in the sky. Three wise men saw the star and wondered what it was. They consulted their books and learned that a new star in the sky meant a new king had been born. The wise men decided to follow the star to Bethlehem to see the new king and to worship him. They took gifts of frankencense, gold and myrrh for baby Jesus.

Shepherds were also watching the sky on the night of Jesus' birth and they saw the new star too. As they wondered what it meant an angel came down and told them the son of God had been born and they could find him in Bethlehem. The shepherds went to Bethlehem to see baby Jesus and were filled with joy. They told Mary and Joseph how the angel had appeared and told them that Jesus was to be the saviour of the world.

Celebrating Christmas.
Christmas is celebrated throughout the Christian population, but is also celebrated by many non-Christians as a cultural festival.

At Christmas people sing carols, visit church and perform plays of the nativity story. They decorate Christmas trees and give gifts and cards to each other. Father Christmas also comes on Christmas Eve to give presents to good boys and girls.

There are lots of traditions associated with christmas like kissing under mistletoe and pulling Christmas crackers, but some traditions vary from family to family. People celebrate Christmas in many different ways but it's always a time to be with the ones we love.

Take a look at the games and activities page to see how to make your very own nativiy scene just like this one!

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