Theme: Birth of Jesus

Merry Christmas

Christmas was just around the corner. Julia and her mother were decorating the house, tidying the tree and the ornaments with great care.

– I love Christmas, Mom! – said Julia – it's not just because we get presents. I also like it because our family gets together with Aunt Catarina and grandma. I like the decorations and even the songs.

– I like it a lot too, daughter – said Lourdes, Julia's mother – it's my favorite holiday!

- True! I didn't even remember that it was a holiday, because at that time I'm on vacation from school – said Julia – but what do we celebrate at Christmas, Mom? Is it the holiday of giving and getting presents?

– No, little girl! Christmas is a very special holiday. It's actually the most important of the year. It is at Christmas that we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Jesus was the most evolved spirit ever born on Earth. He was so good and so wise that people try to follow his teachings and his example to this day.

- Oh yes! Now I remembered it. How funny, it's Jesus' birthday, but we're the ones who get presents – said Julia, smiling.

- Yes - agreed the mother. – There are many traditions at Christmas, which were incorporated in different ways, over time, by each person, in each country. Here we have ours. Giving gifts should remind you of the gesture of the three wise men, who brought gifts to the baby Jesus when he was born.

– The three wise men aren't those dolls from our nativity scene? – asked Julia.

– The nativity scene is a scene that we set up with dolls, to remember the birth of Jesus. By the way, let's set up ours so I can tell you how it went - said Lourdes.

She and Julia then took the pieces of the nativity scene, which were in a box, and began to arrange them on a small table, next to the Christmas tree. As they set them up, Lourdes told the story of Jesus' birth.

“Mary was pregnant, soon Jesus would be born. But she and her husband Joseph had to travel because the emperor wanted to register all the people and for that Joseph had to be in the city of Bethlehem. There were no cars at that time, they went on foot. Maria, being pregnant, was mounted on a donkey. When they arrived, they were very tired and wanted to find accommodation to spend the night and rest. But they didn't. All the places that received travelers were already occupied, as many people also had to go to Bethlehem.

Joseph only managed to get them a stable for the night. Stable is a place where animals are sheltered. That night, in that stable, Jesus was born and placed in a manger, which served as a crib. A manger is the trough where the food for the animals to eat is placed.

Jesus, the most important person on Earth of all times, was born in this humble place among the animals. And that's why we put the cow, the horse, and other animals in the nativity scene.

When Jesus was born, they say that a very strong light shone in the sky above where Jesus was. As people had already been warned by the prophets that someone very special would be born, some people understood this light, which they called the star of Bethlehem, as the sign of the Messiah's birth. They followed that light and managed to find baby Jesus and his parents. It is said that they brought him gifts.

That's why our nativity scene is like that. Some have only the dolls that remind Jesus as a baby and his parents. Others, like ours, also have some animals, the wise men, and the star of Bethlehem. But the main idea is for us to remember this very happy fact that was the birth of Jesus.”

- That's great! – said Julia – Christmas is really special!

– Of course it is! – the mother agreed – the decorations, the food and the presents are good, but the most important thing is that at Christmas we can exercise kindness and wish Merry Christmas from our hearts. At Christmas people remember more about Jesus, the love he taught us, and they are inspired to help or please someone. This is the loveliest part of Christmas. It's what makes us have a really happy Christmas!

Julia smiled, understanding what her mother was teaching about the true meaning of Christmas. The two finished arranging the decorations and, when everything was ready, Julia and Lourdes hugged and said, happily, to each other:

- Merry Christmas!
 

Translation:
Larissa Martine - larissa_am@hotmail.com

marcelapradacontato@gmail.com