Photo courtesy of Neonbrand on Unsplash
Even if you don’t have small children in your life, you’ve got to read (or perhaps re-read) Barbara Robinson’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. This is the story of the six Herdman children who cause trouble as the main actors in the upcoming Christmas pageant. The Herdmans are a rag-tag bunch of kids from a n’er-do-well family who have solid reputations for causing bodily harm to each other and to anyone else who gets in their way.
The author tells the story from the viewpoint of Beth Bradley, a preteen girl whose mother Grace assumes the role of pageant director after the seasoned director breaks her leg.
The Herdman kids decided to check out Sunday School after hearing about free refreshments, and they arrive just in time to commandeer the lead roles in the annual Christmas pageant. Having never attended church, or read the Bible, or heard the story of Jesus’ birth before, they knew nothing and were full of questions.
What is a shepherd? Was there a bed in the barn? What were the “wadded up clothes”? Why didn’t Joseph punch the innkeeper when he wouldn’t let them in? What kind of a stupid gift is frankincense?
Imogene Herdman played the role of Mary as though she were the local bossy pizzeria owner. “Get away from the baby!” she yelled at her brother Ralph who played the role of Joseph.
When the play started, Imogene and Ralph stood at the set’s edge looking unsure. They looked like refugees, not sure of what to do or where to go.
The author has Beth comment, “It suddenly occurred to me that this was just the way it must have been for the real Holy Family, stuck away in a barn by people who didn’t much care what happened to them.”
When the Herdman Wise Men came up the aisle, the gifts they carried were items from the charity gift basket their family had been given, which included the canned ham.
Somehow it all worked out and the audience murmured that it had been the best Christmas pageant ever, even if they couldn’t identify why.
Beth Bradley offered this observation: “Artists portray Mary as all pink and white and pure…looking as if she never washed dishes or cooked supper or did anything at all except have Jesus on Christmas. But as far as I’m concerned, Mary is always going to look a lot like Imogene Herdman—sort of nervous and bewildered, but ready to clobber anyone who laid a hand on her baby. And the Wise Men are always going to be Leroy and his brothers bearing ham.”
I’ll bet it was a heck of a pageant.
Norma:
But, what ever happened to “Round John Virgin”??? You remember him from the lyrics of Silent Night, I’m sure!!!
Hadn’t heard that one before! Thanks for sharing.
i enjoyed this, Norma. I hope to read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever to my grandchildren who are participating in the Live Nativity at their church this weekend. Their parents will be out of town on work related issues, so “Mimi” is in charge. There just might be some similarities between my grandchildren and the Herdman kids, with me directing them, but I do know that their little hearts are in the right place. They are excited to be a part of this. I was worried that we could somehow ruin the scene by doing the wrong thing at the wrong time or by wearing the wrong costume. Your article was what I needed to make me relax and enjoy the beauty of it all!
Aww, thanks for sharing this. Another writer told me once that sometimes when you send your words out into space, you can’t be sure of where they’ll land or what effect they may have. I have no doubt it will all work out beautifully. And yes, be sure to find the book!
First of all, Norma, I too really enjoyed reading this blog. Oh, Linda, I wish I could see your grandchildren “performing” in their Live Nativity. I remember when I did just that for my own church as a teenager, and this blog brought those memories flooding back. I especially love hearing that your grandchildren call you “Mimi” as that is what I called my grandmother who lived on the next street down from where you grew up. An early “Merry Christmas” to you and to all!!!
I used to take my grandsons Brandon and Danny to Warrenton’s Main Street live Nativity sponsored by a church. They had all kinds of costumes in the basement of the court house next door, and you could dress as whatever character you wanted to be from the First Christmas, then just stand in the manger area in silence for as long as you wanted. It was quite peaceful standing there with strangers and the animals. I hope the boys remember the experience.
I remember your Mimi, Betsy. She was a lovely person and I can still picture her charming home. The funny thing is that I planned for years what I wanted my grandchildren to call me and I finally came up with Gammie because my mother was already Grammie. When the first two were born we were all referring to me as Gammie, but the oldest, Max, out of the clear blue sky, just started calling me Mimi. No one could imagine where he even heard it. I love it!