Every Christmas, schoolchildren around the world perform the story of the nativity of Jesus. In Jersey, as in other parts of the world, this is a much-loved part of the Christmas festivities, bringing together teachers, children, proud parents and grandparents and signalling the end of the school term and the start of the Christmas holiday.
Most people will be familiar with the nativity story, which tells of the birth of Jesus, the son of God, in a stable in Bethlehem. Uplifting and inspiring, it is a story of humility, generosity, family and the joy and preciousness of new life.
Traditionally, children’s nativity plays have taken this biblical event as their inspiration, recreating the story of the night of Jesus’ birth with children playing the parts of Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and the three wise men. In recent times, the children’s nativity play has been modernised and re-imagined, incorporating traditional characters and songs as well as some more modern additions!
Designed to convey the heart-warming humour of a school play, the illustrations on the stamps capture the children’s delight and concentration whilst performing and at the same time, capture the emotional, often tear-jerking experience of being a proud member of the audience.
