Night in Bethlehem and Nikolaus

For 3 nights in December a nearby church hosts "A Night in Bethlehem" event. Since it rained on Sunday evening, the kids and I went there last night after dinner. Once parked, you enter the city gates to find a marketplace to do some ancient Hebrew crafts and to experience a live nativity with animals and characters telling the story of the birth of Jesus.  The decorations, costumes and set-up were very kid-friendly and we had such a fun time. 

Amelia and Elliot each got their own treasure box and filled them with handmade crafts: dolls (made from cloth strips), clay figurines, and a dreidel as well as a bag filled with gold, myrrh and frankincense. 

Inside the tent was also a pen set up with a 2 month old Joey and 2 piglets. Amelia was even allowed to give a bottle to the kangaroo: 

And then we headed outside to see the live nativity and more animals: goats, sheep, a donkey, an alpaca, a calf, and a camel:

Elliot's favorite animal was the camel and Amelia loved feeding the pygmy goats. My favorite was the camel too, it even gave me a kiss on the cheek. 

 

Nativity scene (with and without extras):

Warming up with hot cocoa before heading home:

I'm glad the rain stopped for a few hours and we were able to go to this event. It was so well done and not crowded at all. The kids loved all the animals and crafts and we talked about with what children played when Jesus was born and how the people lived. It was nice to focus on the real reason of this season and to bring the bible story and our Savior to life so that the children have a better understanding of why we celebrate Christmas.

Today, December 6th, we are celebrating a traditional German holiday: Nikolaus. On this day in 346 Nicholas of Myra, a Greek Christian bishop, died and we remember him for his miracles and secretly giving gifts. The children put their polished boots out the night before and St. Nicholas fills them with small gifts and sweets overnight while checking up on them to see if they were good, polite and helpful last year. 

It seems, that Amelia and Elliot have been very good this year as their boots were filled this morning:

It is only the 6th day of December and we are having already so much fun and love what this season has to offer. It is truly the most magical time of the year.