A Christmas pageant is a public event conducted in celebration of the
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
holiday, typically involving an
entertainment
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousa ...
in the form of a
procession
A procession is an organized body of people walking in a formal or ceremonial manner.
History
Processions have in all peoples and at all times been a natural form of public celebration, as forming an orderly and impressive ceremony. Religious ...
(such as a
Santa Claus parade
Santa Claus parades, also called Christmas parades, are parades held in some countries to celebrate the official opening of the Christmas season with the arrival of Santa Claus who always appears in the last float.
The parades usually include them ...
), or a
Nativity play
A Nativity play or Christmas pageant is a play which recounts the story of the Nativity of Jesus. It is usually performed at Christmas, the feast of the Nativity.
Liturgical
The term "Nativity Drama" is used by Wellesz in his discussion of the ...
or other
performance.
Nativity pageant roles
Typical roles include:
*
Joseph (father of Jesus)
*
Mary, mother of Jesus
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
*
Christ Child
*
Three Wisemen
:*
Balthazar
:*
Caspar
:*
Melchior
Melchior is the name traditionally given to one of the biblical Magi appearing in the Gospel of Matthew. There are many notable people with this name, or close variations.
As a first name
* Melchior Anderegg (1828–1914), Swiss mountain guide
* ...
*
Caesar Augustus
*
Roman soldier
This is a list of Roman army units and bureaucrats.
*'' Accensus'' – Light infantry men in the armies of the early Roman Republic, made up of the poorest men of the army.
*'' Actuarius'' – A military who served food.
*''Adiutor'' – A camp o ...
*
Heralding Angels
*
Angels
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles incl ...
*
Shepherds
A shepherd or sheepherder is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. ''Shepherd'' derives from Old English ''sceaphierde (''sceap'' 'sheep' + ''hierde'' 'herder'). ''Shepherding is one of the world's oldest occupations, i ...
*
Donkey
*
Calves
*
Sheep
Christmas parades
The Santa Claus Parade may also be known as the
Thanksgiving Day Parade which is held on Thanksgiving yearly. This parade usually includes floats, marching bands, performances of various artists and of course, Santa Claus himself.
See also
*
Adelaide Christmas Pageant
The National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant is a parade held annually in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Established in 1933, the event is staged annually on the second Saturday of November, typically from 9.30am except 2020 and 2021 whe ...
*
List of holiday parades
The following is a list of holiday parades that occur between Thanksgiving Day (in the U.S.) and early January, coinciding with the Christmas and holiday season.
Africa
South Africa
* Cape Town: Kaapse Klopse (Cape Town Minstrel Carnival), hel ...
References
Pageant
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