It’s just not Christmas until we go to our annual preschool pageant.

Last year, my niece was Mary. This year, my 3 ½ year-old baby girl played the part of “a star.”

The hierarchy of the casting each year is as follows:

Mary and Joseph and the supporting cast of Innkeepers and Wisemen: Pre-kindergarten 5 year–olds who perhaps have the confidence and maturity to say a line or two out loud (the teacher sits quietly nearby just in case someone gets stage fright while in Bethlehem).

Angels: 4-year old girls…who do quite well at staying quiet during the narration but have a tendency to sway back and forth, whacking wings with each other while they wave enthusiastically into the crowd.

Shepards: 4-year old boys with bathrobes over their t-shirt and khakis, and towels on their heads. They don’t do quite so well at sitting still, but somehow they manage to keep the towels from falling off their heads (thanks to a bit of box string).

Sheep: 3-year old boys with little fleece hoods and vests (cute factor is through the roof).

Stars: Little girls dressed in white shirts and black pants holding big gold cardboard stars (without the stars they look a bit like a mini catering service).

Narrator: The school’s director

While the story is acted out on the church alter, dozens of video camera-taping dads line the balcony, while moms and extended family sit in the audience. Babies are crying. A sheep sometimes gets nervous and makes a run for it.

There are no stage lights.
There is no grandiose organ music, or even a piano.
No props and no fanfare.
Just sweet little faces and hand-made costumes.

And at the end we all sing two verses of “Silent Night” and “Away in a Manger.”

It’s all over in about 20 minutes and then we pile into the church hall for cookies and juice.

And every year, I love every minute of it.