Nativity plays - did you have 'em?

Hotblack Desiato · 17-12-2019 11:34pm #1

Quick poll. Did you have a nativity play when you were in school?

My wife and I both went to different RC religious order schools in the 70s/80s and nativity plays were unheard of then.

Seems to me a relatively newly-minted "tradition" imported wholesale from Britain.

Right or wrong?

Pherekydes · 18-12-2019 12:02am

I don't recall. But that's probably a function of my age (59).

smacl · 18-12-2019 9:02am

Pherekydes wrote: »

I don't recall. But that's probably a function of my age (59).

Same (54), don't remember that much from primary school though still have some really fun reunions for secondary.

rainbow kirby · 18-12-2019 10:10am

35 and we did have one at least a couple of times. RC primary school in south Dublin.

Salary Negotiator · 18-12-2019 10:18am

Definitely remember having at least 1 in primary school. I played the important but often overlooked part of Flower #1.

It was a non-speaking, non-moving part but without me the whole thing would have lacked a certain je ne sais quoi.

RC school in Louth back in the mid to late 80's.

spacecoyote · 18-12-2019 10:27am

Played one of the Kings with a stylish cloak made from an old curtain from my Grannies house :cool:

That would have been mid-late 80s in an RC school in Tallaght.

Only really remember that because the photo gets dragged out by my mam once in a while

seamus · 18-12-2019 10:38am

1980s I remember doing a Xmas-themed play. And I was an elf. What it was about, I don't have a rashers. I suspect it may have been a nativity but when you have 30 kids in a class you'll struggle to find parts for them all!

In my kids school (same school actually), only the Junior Infants do it, and it's basically ten kids putting on a nativity surrounded by another twenty in Santa hats and antlers, singing songs.

CelticRambler · 18-12-2019 10:43am

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

My wife and I both went to different RC religious order schools in the 70s/80s and nativity plays were unheard of then.

Seems to me a relatively newly-minted "tradition" imported wholesale from Britain.

Between siblings and country cousins, all raised in RC schools [70s-80s], I'd never seen or taken part in a nativity play, or knew of anyone who'd ever been in one, and it wasn't for the want of theatrical exposure - just about everyone had been in musicals or plays or concerts and we even knew the Calvita girl in real life.

Then I went to England in the 90s and it was everywhere - RC, CoE, non-denom. Couldn't get over how religous they were! :eek:

Cabaal · 18-12-2019 12:29pm

They def didn't do it when I was in school and that includes
Primary school run by nuns
Primary School run by christian brothers

It seems to be a much more recent thing from what I can see

Bannasidhe · 18-12-2019 1:58pm

I had a brief stint in a school run by nuns back in the 60s and we definitely had plays but I don't recall is there was a nativity aspect to it or if it was more like an end of year talent show.
My family had 'form' at these plays.

1963 - My sister got so into her role as a fairy/angel that she refused to leave the stage the entire time. For 2 hours she just drifted around 'blessing' participants and generally putting everyone off their lines while ignoring frantically gesticulating nuns in the wings.

1964- My brother (boys attended the girls school until first class) was literally grabbed by the dickie bow and hauled off the stage by the head nun for breaking the triangle - the only musical instrument they felt he could be trusted with - he was then barred from the after play party so threw a tantrum of Biblical proportions and kicked the crap out of the cake table.
At my father's funeral last Oct brother (an ex-alter boy) remarked on the lack of a bell during consecration of the host, I commented that was because some asshole of an alter boy broke the triangle and they can't afford a replacement. Very unseemly snorts of laughter broke out along the front row.

1971 - I was cast as a rower in some bizarre Óró sé de bheatha abaile sketch and we had to wear appropriate itchy Aran jumper/hats costumes. The Currach was a bit of painted board propped up against the benches we were sitting on and my cousin had the starring singing role. As she's belting out the number I was getting increasing agitated by the wool itch and eventually had enough, ripped off me woolly hat with the intention of flinging it overboard, but in doing so my elbow hit the side of the boat and knocked it over.
Trying to save the situation I yelled "Táimid ag dul faoi uisce!!!", held me nose, and jumped 'overboard' before 'swimming' to the nearest wing. Cousin flings herself into the 'water' and continued to sing while doing a whole Esther Williams act - complete with water in mouth noises during the chorus. Meanwhile, I had spotted furious head Nun in the wing I was heading for so changed direction and proceeded to do the breast stroke to stage left.
We were escorted to the door before we could attack the cake table.

Each one of us was about 6 years old at the time.

Brother moved to the boys school, I moved to a non-denominational school. Cousin eventually won Butlin's talent contest.

There may have been a Nativity part but none of us were ever available to see it :P

sbsquarepants · 18-12-2019 2:02pm

I went to a catholic school, no nativity plays for me (That i can recall anyway - would have been 40 years ago now!)

Coincidentally i was at 2 for me own kids yesterday - harmless enough auld shíte to be honest. Bit of craic, no real harm done.

lazygal · 18-12-2019 4:29pm

My old primary did one for the junior infants and I was Mary.
Other classes did a group carol service most years. The school, along with many others, seems to have become significantly more religious in recent years and the songs are now all religious and the nativity very full on.
My children's school do winter presentations for each year. Some religious ****e but not enough to give out about.

Cabaal · 24-12-2019 10:08am

Interestingly, during the past few weeks locally we did some interviews to do with Christmas memories of people aged 60-90 years of age.
About half mentioned they never did anything like the nativity while in school.

bee06 · 24-12-2019 10:16am

I’m 37 and we definitely had them in primary when I was in the younger classes. I remember being an angel with wings my mom made from wire coat hangers and tinfoil. My younger brothers and sister did them too. My brothers used to get a proper headscarf for their Shepard’s outfit that my dad brought from the Middle East. No tea towels for us

branie2 · 24-12-2019 2:14pm

I was the narrator of our school nativity play one year.

robindch · 26-12-2019 10:56am

Don't remember doing a nativity play at any time. Though I do have a strong memory of sixth class in 1979 when our teacher, a man with strong republican leanings, put on a play recounting the events of the 1798 rebellion in which I - the only class member without a full Kerry accent - was cast as the luckless anglo-Irish revolutionary, Beauchamp Bagenal Harvey.

Nativity plays - did you have 'em?

Did you have a nativity play in school? 29 votes

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