Nativity play
The Nativity Play recreates the scene of Jesus’ birth in the stable and tells of how Mary and Joseph were visited by the Shepherds and Wise Men. The word nativity comes from the Latin word 'natal' which means birth.The tradition of Nativity plays began in churches where they were used to illustrate the Christmas story as told in the Bible.
St Francis is said to have created the first Nativity performance in Italy in about 1223. In those days, many people were unable to read or write, so they couldn't read the Christmas story in the bible themselves. Also many of the church services were in Latin which they didn't understand.
St Francis decided to change all that. He wanted not only to tell the story of the first Christmas, but to show people what it must have been like on that night in Bethlehem when Jesus was born. He set up a nativity scene. He got hold of some live animals, a manger and some hay. Then he asked people from his village to take the parts of Mary and Joseph and the Shepherds.
It is traditional in theUKfor children from Foundation to Year 3 in Primary schools to perform Nativity Play for the parents and local people associated with the school in Christmas.
Nativity Play 是再现耶稣在马厩出生场景以及讲述牧羊人和东方三贤士朝拜耶稣故事的戏剧，被称为“耶稣诞生剧”。Nativity 这个词来自拉丁文的 natal，是“出生”的意思。耶稣诞生剧最初在教堂演出。教会以戏剧形式来讲圣经故事。
据说圣弗朗西斯神父大约在1223年于意大利设计了第一场耶稣诞生剧。在那个年代，很多人都是文盲，他们无法阅读圣经。再者，很多教堂用的是拉丁语，人们听不懂。
圣弗朗西斯决定要作出改变。他不但要告诉人们第一个圣诞夜的故事，还希望让人们目睹耶稣在伯利恒诞生那一夜的情景。于是，他设计了马厩的场景：找来一些牲畜、一个饲料槽和一些干草。接着请村民来扮演玛丽亚、约瑟和牧羊人等。
英国小学基础年（相当于学前班）到三年级孩子在圣诞节给父母和学校请来的观众表演耶稣诞生剧是英国的圣诞节传统。
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可鑫和可燊从幼儿园到小学三年级，每年都表演耶稣诞生剧。现代的耶稣诞生剧与传统的诞生剧很不相同。很多现代的诞生剧仅以耶稣诞生为主线，其他剧情都是新编的，很多还带喜剧元素。下面的图片是今年圣诞可燊在学校表演的耶稣诞生剧。
（“英国文化园”公众号有英文音频）
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