Day One of Seven Nativity Traditions-The STABLE

 Day One of Seven Nativity Traditions

by Emily Belle Freeman and David Butler, adapted from LDS Living's "Christ-Centered Christmas Celebration" video series

                              Day One-The Stable

DB: When [Mary] was maybe nine months pregnant, they made the trek into Bethlehem to find that everybody else from the line of David was also there, so the city was packed full of people. There was a lot of busy-ness, there were a lot of crowds, and no inn had room for Mary and Joseph, which means no place had room for Jesus.

EBF: Maybe we can look at that night, that first Christmas night when Joseph and Mary went away to a tiny stable—a holy place, a sacred place where they could get away from everything. . . . Maybe we can make room for Jesus Christ in our celebrations this year. Maybe we can create sacred spaces and holy places as we celebrate a Christ-centered Christmas this year.

Invitation and Tradition Idea:

The invitation and tradition for day number one is to display an empty stable. And every time you pass by it, maybe you can think, “What can I do this week or what can I do today to make more room for Jesus in my Christmas celebrations?”