The travelling nativity is a modern take on Posada, an old Mexican tradition where young people dressed up as Mary and Joseph. They travelled house to house and asked for a room for the night and told the residents about the coming of Jesus. This took place in the weeks before Christmas and then on Christmas Eve they would visit the Church and re-enact the nativity.
The modern day Posada uses figures of Mary and Joseph who travel from household to household, giving the householders the chance to create space to pray in a different way. The travelling nativity reminds us of the journey that Mary and Joseph made to Bethlehem.
We are adapting the practice and including the shepherds and the magi also as travellers. You are unable to host the groups at the same time as all three groups travelled separately to Bethlehem. The shepherds were told by the Angels of the birth of Jesus, after Mary and Joseph got to Bethlehem. The Magi saw the star in the sky and travelled from the East to Bethlehem. Each group has an important part and message to convey in Jesus’ birth.
When you have your travellers in your home, please unpack them from their box (sanitising things as necessary) and create a place for them. Be as creative as possible. It could be as simple as placing them on your mantelpiece next to a candle, or you could make them beds or create a stable for them, the possibilities are endless.
Once you have made them feel at home you can use the short service, which will be in the box, to pray that we may encounter Jesus as we prepare for Christmas.
