. all rights belong to Tanis Harms –
. refer to www.church-skits.com
CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS – written by Tanis Harms
TOPIC: good reminders of joy in Jesus
SCRIPTURE: Luke 2:10-14; John 3:16; Hosea 14:4-7;
. Psalm 150:1-5; John 10:11; Romans 6:23;
. Ephesians 2:8-10; Psalm 149:1-4;
. 1 Timothy 1:15-17; Matthew 12:19-21
STYLE: a Christmas program with scriptures,
. narrations and optional scenes
. (CHARACTERS help build and illustrate
. a picture of Christmas traditions),
. and songs (recommended to be sung either
. by soloists, choir or congregational)
Cast: NARRATOR (you could have a different
. narrator for each segment))
. READER (you could have a different
. scripture reciter for each verse)
. FAMILY (to enter picture first)
. 3 MAGI
. SHEPHERDS
. MARY
. JOSEPH
. ANGELS
Set: you can build a “picture” of Christmas,
. depending on how your stage is situated,
. you could have a big picture frame
. in front of the scene, or maybe
. 3 huge frames set up behind the scene
. like a 3-way mirror... ____
. so everyone can see / \
. the scene in a frame / \
. you could also have a fake fireplace
. for someplace to hang the stockings,
. (or hang on a wire or on the tree,
. but have something figured out to make it
. easy, maybe have hooks on the stockings)
Props: evergreen tree,
. star tree-topper,
. one ringing bell tree ornament,
. (the rest [18-24] can be cutouts of bells)
. candy canes (maybe 18-24 all together)
. 3 stockings to hang,
. gifts,
. music sheets
. manger, stool (for Mary),
. little table, advent wreath and candles
SCRIPT: 1
(NARRATOR and READER enter and stand beside the frame/s
or the spot where the picture scene is going to happen.
Best if NARRATOR and READER are to the far side.)
NARRATOR Christmas! This is the time of year
. when Christian families get together
. to remember the birth of Jesus Christ.
. It may not be the correct date, but
. most churches have chosen December 25th.
. And, Christmas traditions can vary
. from culture to culture. But people –
. in general - love to celebrate.
. Around 270 A.D., it was the Roman Emperor,
. Aurelian, who called December 25th
. "The Birthday of the Unconquered Sun",
. and put it right in the middle of the feast
. of Saturnalia. This feast would last a week.
. It was a time to have big dinners,
. decorate halls with laurels and green trees,
. carry candles through the streets,
. and give gifts to one other.
. While this was all going on,
. the Christians would set aside time
. to reflect on the life and acts of Jesus.
. It was soon after this, when Constantine
. made Christianity the religion of Rome,
. that the Catholics converted these activities
. into Christian traditions with new meanings
. behind them. For, according
. to the announcement made by the angel
. to the shepherds, we SHOULD have great joy
. and give glory to God for sending His Son.
READER (Luke 2:10-14) “But the angel said to them,
. ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news
. that will cause great joy for all the people.
. Today in the town of David
. a Savior has been born to you;
. He is the Messiah, the Lord.
. This will be a sign to you:
. You will find a baby wrapped in cloths
. and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly
. a great company of the heavenly host
. appeared with the angel, praising God
. and saying, ‘Glory to God
. in the highest heaven, and on earth –
. peace to those – on whom His favor rests.’”
(During the song, FAMILY enters the picture scene 2
and mimes conversation and warm fellowship.)
SONG: “THE BIRTHDAY OF A KING”
. by William Harold Neidlinger
. (vs.1) In the little village of Bethlehem
. There lay a child one day
. And the sky was bright
. With a holy light
. O'er the place where Jesus lay.
. (chorus) Alleluia, O how the angels sang!
. Alleluia, How it rang!
. And the sky was bright, With a holy light
. 'Twas the birthday of a King.
. (vs.2) ‘Twas a humble birthplace
. But O how much God gave to us that day!
. From the manger bed what a path has led
. What a perfect holy way.
. (chorus) Alleluia, O how the angels sang!
. Alleluia, How it rang!
. And the sky was bright, With a holy light
. 'Twas the birthday of a King.
(FAMILY freezes in a family portrait photo pose.)
NARRATOR The Christmas tree. People from all walks
. of life, appreciate flowers and trees,
. and have always looked for different ways
. to bring nature - inside. In the midst
. of winter, even the early Egyptians,
. would bring green palms into their homes.
. This, to them symbolized life's triumph
. over death. In the middle ages, the Romans
. would put on plays, where they would act out
. the fall of Adam and Eve. On the set, they
. would use an evergreen as the Paradise Tree,
. which represented man's fall, as well as
. the promise of salvation. The first known
. Christmas tree was put up in the 16th century,
. in Strasbourg, Germany. In the 1830s,
. German settlers brought this idea with them
. to Pennsylvania. And, in 1842, Prince Albert
. popularized this tradition in England
. when he put up a tree in Windsor Castle
. for his wife, Queen Victoria. There are many
. legends and stories about the Christmas tree.
. But simply put, the secular symbol is one
. of endurance, or a sign of nature’s beauty;
. and for the Christians, it has always
. represented - eternal life.
. 4
READER (John 3:16) “For God so loved the world
. that He gave His one and only Son,
. that whoever believes in Him shall not perish
. but have eternal life.”
(During the song, FAMILY brings in a Christmas tree,
and fusses to set it up correctly.)
SONG: “COME, THOU LONG-EXPECTED JESUS”
. by Charles Wesley & Rowland H.Prichard
. (vs.1) Come, Thou long expected Jesus
. Born to set Thy people free;
. From our fears and sins release us,
. Let us find our rest in Thee.
. Israel’s Strength and Consolation,
. Hope of all the earth Thou art;
. Dear Desire of every nation,
. Joy of every longing heart.
. (vs.2) Born Thy people to deliver,
. Born a child and yet a King,
. Born to reign in us forever,
. Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
. By Thine own eternal Spirit
. Rule in all our hearts alone;
. By Thine all sufficient merit,
. Raise us to Thy glorious throne
(FAMILY freezes to make interesting ‘Norman Rockwell’
type picture scene.)
NARRATOR Decorating the tree. Early Christians
. held the belief that certain trees
. flowered during the winter – as nature’s way
. of honoring Jesus’ birth. As soon as there
. were Christmas trees, there were decorations.
. And the first known decorations were things
. of nature, like flowers and fruit.
. For a while, this practice was condemned
. by religious leaders, but it slowly spread
. from Germany up into the Nordic countries,
. finally becoming fully acceptable when
. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert displayed
. their fully decorated tree in England.
. We must realize that God Himself, the Creator,
. adorned nature with beauty, and only told us
. that beauty should not MERELY be external,
. but that the internal beauty is
. most important, and is enhanced with
. the love and salvation of Jesus Christ.
. 5
READER (Hosea 14:4-7) “I will heal their waywardness
. and love them freely,
. for my anger has turned away from them.
. I will be like the dew to Israel;
. he will blossom like a lily.
. Like a cedar of Lebanon
. he will send down his roots;
. his young shoots will grow.
. His splendor will be like an olive tree,
. his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.
. People will dwell again in his shade;
. they will flourish like the grain,
. they will blossom like the vine...“
(FAMILY makes a big deal about pulling out the star
tree-topper, and putting it on top of the tree.)
SONG: “O SING A SONG OF BETHLEHEM”
. by Louis F. Benson
. (vs.1) O sing a song of Bethlehem,
. Of shepherds watching there,
. And of the news that came to them
. From angels in the air;
. The light that shone on Bethlehem
. Fills all the world today;
. Of Jesus’ birth and peace on earth
. The angels sing always.
. (vs.2) O sing a song of Nazareth,
. Of sunny days of joy,
. O sing of fragrant flowers’ breath,
. And of the sinless Boy;
. For now the flowers of Nazareth
. In every heart may grow;
. Now spreads the fame of His dear name,
. On all the winds that blow.
(FAMILY freezes.)
NARRATOR Bells ringing! Even though some people,
. long ago, believed that they could use bells
. to frighten away evil spirits – bells are
. simply a form of noisemaking. They were easy
. to make, easy to carry, and easy to use.
. When there is something happy to celebrate,
. people like to make noise. Years ago,
. most villages had churches with bell towers.
. These bells would ring out when there was
. something important to announce: like the
. start of church – a wedding - or Christmas Day.
. 6
READER (Psalm 150:1-5) Praise the LORD!...
. Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet,
. praise Him with the harp and lyre,
. praise Him with timbrel and dancing,
. praise Him with the strings and pipe,
. praise Him with the clash of cymbals,
. praise Him with resounding cymbals.
(FAMILY takes out one bell ornament and rings it,
which begins the song, then during the song they continue
to hang bells on the tree that do not make any sound.)
SONG: “I HEARD THE BELLS ON CHRISTMAS DAY”
. by Henry W.Longfellow, Jean Baptiste Calkin
. (vs.1) I heard the bells on Christmas day
. Their old familiar carols play,
. And wild and sweet the words repeat
. Of peace on earth, good will to men.
. (vs.4) Yet pealed the bells more loud and deep:
. “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
. The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
. Of peace on earth, good will to men.
. (vs.5) Then ringing, singing on its way,
. The world revolved from night to day –
. A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
. Of peace on earth, good will to men.
(FAMILY freezes.)
NARRATOR Candy canes. This tradition is based on
. a legend, which may or may not be true.
. Around 1770, at the Cologne Cathedral
. in Germany, there was a certain choirmaster
. who thought of a way to help keep the children
. quiet during the long Nativity ceremony.
. He couldn’t give them chocolate, because
. this would be seen as sacrilegious, so
. he had a sugar stick made into the shape
. of a shepherd’s cane – to remind the children
. of the shepherds at Jesus' birth. It was
. after 1847, that a German-Swedish immigrant
. in Ohio started the tradition of putting
. candy canes on his Christmas tree.
. A few years later, someone else added
. the peppermint flavor, as well as the
. red stripes. Some say that the white
. represents the purity of Jesus Christ and
. the red represents the wounds that He suffered.
. No matter how it began, it is a sweet thought.
. 7
READER (John 10:11) Jesus said, “I am
. the good shepherd. The good shepherd
. lays down his life for the sheep.”
(FAMILY hangs candy canes on the tree.)
SONG “BREAK FORTH, O BEAUTEOUS HEAVENLY LIGHT”
. by Johann Rist, Joseph Barlowe,
. Johann Schop, J.S.Bach
. (vs.1) Break forth, O beauteous heavenly light,
. And usher in the morning;
. O shepherds, shrink not with affright,
. But hear the angel's warning.
. This child, now weak in infancy,
. Our confidence and joy shall be,
. The power of Satan breaking,
. Our peace eternal making.
. (vs.2) He comes, a Child, from realms on high,
. He comes the heav’ns adoring;
. He comes to earth to live and die,
. A broken race restoring.
. Although the King of kings is He,
. He comes in deep humility;
. His people to deliver,
. And reign in us forever.
(FAMILY freezes.)
NARRATION Christmas stockings. This is actually
. one of the oldest Christmas traditions.
. It stems from a Christian man named Nicholas,
. who was a Bishop to the city of Myra, Turkey,
. 17 centuries ago. He was loved by everyone,
. especially the children, and was known to be
. very selfless and giving. He came from
. a wealthy family, but had a great heart
. for the poor. On Christmas Eve, he would
. go house to house, secretly giving everyone
. a gift. Noticing that people had left
. their laundry out to dry, he would put some
. of the gifts into the woolen stockings
. still hanging on the clotheslines. Even now,
. giving gifts is symbolic of the gifts given
. to Jesus at His birth, and of the fact
. that Jesus Himself was a gift to the world.
READER (Romans 6:23) “For the wages of sin is death,
. but the gift of God is eternal life
. in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
. 8
(FAMILY hangs up stockings.)
SONG: (“HOW GREAT OUR JOY!”
. German carol, arranged by Hugo Jungst)
. (vs.2) There shall be born, so He did say,
. In Bethlehem a Child today.
. (chorus) How great our joy! Great our joy!
. Joy, joy, joy! Joy, joy, joy!
. Praise we the Lord in heaven on high!
. Praise we the Lord in heaven on high!
. (vs.3) There shall the Child lie in a stall,
. This Child who shall redeem us all.
. (chorus) How great our joy! Great our joy!
. Joy, joy, joy! Joy, joy, joy!
. Praise we the Lord in heaven on high!
. Praise we the Lord in heaven on high!
. (vs.4) This gift of God we’ll cherish well,
. That ever joy our hearts shall fill
. (chorus) How great our joy! Great our joy!
. Joy, joy, joy! Joy, joy, joy!
. Praise we the Lord in heaven on high!
. Praise we the Lord in heaven on high!
(FAMILY freezes.)
NARRATOR Gift giving. This holiday tradition began
. long before Christmas. The Romans gave gifts
. to each other at festivals such as Saturnalia,
. the winter solstice, and the Roman New Year.
. But when gift giving became associated with
. Christmas, it was equated with the Wise Men’s
. offerings to Jesus. The Bible does not specify
. how many wise men went to honor Jesus. We only
. assume that there were three - because of the
. gifts mentioned: gold, frankincense and myrrh.
. What we do know is that these items are very
. expensive, which only reminds us that the gift
. of salvation – is priceless. The best and only
. gift that we can give God – is ourselves.
READER (Ephesians 2:8-10) “For by grace you have been
. saved through faith; and that not of yourselves,
. it is the gift of God; not as a result of works,
. so that no one may boast.
. For we are His workmanship,
. created in Christ Jesus for good works,
. which God prepared beforehand
. so that we would walk in them.”
(FAMILY puts gifts under the tree. As they do, they 9
shake some to maybe figure out what they might be.)
SONG: (“WHAT CHILD IS THIS?” by William C.Dix)
. (vs.1) What Child is this who, laid to rest
. On Mary's lap is sleeping?
. Whom Angels greet with anthems sweet,
. While shepherds watch are keeping?
. (chorus) This, this is Christ the King,
. Whom shepherds guard and Angels sing;
. Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
. The Babe, the Son of Mary.
. (vs.3) So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,
. Come peasant, king to own Him;
. The King of kings salvation brings,
. Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
. (chorus) This, this is Christ the King,
. Whom shepherds guard and Angels sing;
. Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
. The Babe, the Son of Mary.
(FAMILY freezes.)
NARRATOR The singing of carols. The styles may have
. changed slightly over the centuries,
. but the church has always sung hymns.
. It was in the thirteenth century, in France,
. Germany, and Italy, with the influence of
. Francis of Asissi, that a tradition of popular
. Christmas songs developed. In 1426, English
. Christmas carols appeared, thanks to songwriter
. John Awdlay, a Shropshire chaplain. These were
. probably sung by groups of 'wassailers',
. who went from house to house. After the
. Reformation era, carols became more popular
. with the spread of Protestant churches.
. Such people as Martin Luther wrote a few carols
. and encouraged their use in church.
READER (Psalm 149:1-4) “Praise the LORD!
. Sing to the LORD a new song, And His praise
. in the congregation of the godly ones.
. Let Israel be glad in his Maker;
. Let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King.
. Let them praise His name with dancing;
. Let them sing praises to Him with timbrel
. and lyre. For the LORD takes pleasure
. in His people; He will beautify
. the afflicted ones with salvation.”
(FAMILY pulls out music sheets to sing.) 10
SONG: (“JOY TO THE WORLD” by Isaac Watts, George
. Frederick Handel, Lowell Mason, Tom Fettke)
. (vs.1) Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
. Let earth receive her King; Let every heart
. prepare Him room, And Heaven & nature sing,
. And Heaven and nature sing,
. And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.
. (vs.4) He rules the world with truth and grace,
. And makes the nations prove; The glories of
. His righteousness, And wonders of His love,
. And wonders of His love,
. And wonders, wonders, of His love
(FAMILY freezes.)
NARRATOR The nativity scene. In 1223, St. Francis of
. Assisi visited the town of Grecio to celebrate
. Christmas. He realized that their chapel
. was too small to hold the entire congregation
. for Midnight Mass, so he found a hillside near
. the town square and set up the altar. As well,
. he had an idea to make this experience exciting
. enough to interest the townspeople, but solemn
. enough to placate the church authorities.
. Preparing a manger and buying some hay, an ox
. and donkey, St. Francis created a live nativity
. scene. Then standing beside the manger,
. he recited psalms of praise, and preached the
. Christmas message. Recreating nativity scenes,
. or having decorative nativity scenes at home,
. serve as a visible reminder of the details of
. our Savior’s birth. The purpose of Jesus coming
. to die for our sins by humbly - hanging on the
. wooden cross – all began with Jesus leaving
. His heavenly throne – and coming to earth -
. to the humble beginnings of the wooden manger.
READER (1 Timothy 1:15-17) “It is a trustworthy
. statement, deserving full acceptance,
. that Christ Jesus came into the world to
. save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.
. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that
. in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ
. might demonstrate His perfect patience as
. an example for those who would believe in Him
. for eternal life. Now to the King eternal,
. immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor
. and glory forever and ever. Amen.
. 11
(FAMILY stands aside as the NATIVITY SCENE is created
around them, and they subtly become a part of it.)
SONG: (“O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL”
. by John Francis Wade)
. (vs.1) O Come All Ye Faithful
. Joyful and triumphant,
. O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
. Come and behold Him,
. Born the King of Angels;
. O come, let us adore Him,
. O come, let us adore Him,
. O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
. (vs.3) All Hail! Lord, we greet Thee,
. Born this happy morning,
. O Jesus! for evermore be Thy name adored.
. Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
. O come, let us adore Him,
. O come, let us adore Him,
. O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
(NATIVITY SCENE freezes.)
NARRATOR The Advent wreath and candles. The origins
. of this tradition is uncertain, but
. it has always had the significance of hope.
. By the Middle Ages, Christians were using
. this tradition as part of their spiritual
. preparation for Christmas. The progressive
. lighting of the candles each week symbolizes
. the expectation and hope surrounding
. our Lord’s first coming into the world
. and the anticipation of His second coming
. to judge the living and the dead.
. The white candle at the center represents
. Christ. This is lit on Christmas Eve
. to remind us that Jesus is the light
. of the world. As we have this hope in Christ,
. may we also be a light to this world –
. to spread this good news of great joy.
READER (John 8:12) “Then Jesus again spoke to them,
. saying, ‘I am the Light of the world;
. he who follows Me will not walk in the
. darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
(FAMILY can set up an advent wreath and candles
on the small side table, then light it during the song.)
SONG: (“THE ADVENT OF OUR GOD” 12
. by Charles Coffin, Aaron Williams)
. (vs.1) the Advent of our God
. With eager hearts we greet;
. And we must praise Him in this hour
. With hymns and anthms sweet.
. (vs.2) All glory to the Son,
. Who comes to set us free;
. With Father, Spirit, ever One
. Through all eternity.
(This could be where the pastor gives a brief message.
During the next song, you can have the NATIVITY SCENE
can get a candle, light it from the center Advent candle,
then help pass the flame to the entire congregation.)
SONG: (either “SILENT NIGHT, HOLY NIGHT”
. by Joseph Mohr, Franz Gruber;
. or for a change:
. “A THOUSAND CANDLES” by Evie Karlsson,
. Emmy Kohler, Eugene Thomas)
. (vs.1) We light a thousand candles bright
. Around the earth today,
. And all the beams will shine across
. The heaven’s grand display.
. (vs.2) Yes over land and sea tonight
. The joyful message brings
. The birth of Him, our Lord and Christ,
. Our Savior and our King.
. (vs.3) Dear brightest star o’er Bethlehem,
. O let your precious light
. Shine in with hope and peace toward men
. In ev’ry home tonight.
. (vs.4) In all our house so cold and dark
. Please send your warmth sublime,
. The warmth that comes from Jesus’ love
. This blessed Christmas time.