Christmas pageant celebrates the season of giving
Combining their Christmas pageant with a gift giving service is a tradition 80 years strong at the Mattapoisett Congregational Church.
Each year, the kids of the church dress up as Mary, Joseph, shepherds, sheep, angels and the Wise Men to present the Christmas story, and members of the congregation bring gifts wrapped in white for children in the local community.
"It's always the third Sunday of Advent," said Patricia Berry, Sunday school director. "The third Sunday of Advent is [about] joy, so what better Sunday to show Christian charity."
Anne Briggs remembers the White Gift Services of the 30s and 40s, before the addition was built onto the church and the play depicting the Christmas story was in the vestry beneath the sanctuary.
In her short history on those early services, Briggs writes about the smell of fresh hay in the wooden manger and the booming voice of the man reading the Christmas story as children proceed down the aisle.
"Many angels of every shape and size, adorned with halos at every angle and wings attached to their white gowns climbed onto the pulpit and stood on steps so they could see Jesus," wrote Briggs.
After a few carols, the members of the church would rise and place gifts wrapped in white around the manger. Everyone sang "Silent Night."
"Then speaking softly we said goodnight to our neighbors and spoke about how wonderful it was once again," Briggs wrote.
The pageant hasn't changed much, just the people who perform in it. On Sunday, the deep voiced reader of Briggs' childhood was gone, replaced by the youth of the church reciting the story.
The younger members still put on those familiar halos and wings, robes and gowns and, of course, sheep costumes to perform the well-known Christmas drama for another year.
And generous congregants continue to present their gifts wrapped in white for children in need in the community. Last year around 100 gifts were collected to serve 65 children in Mattapoisett and New Bedford. Berry expects the church to have an equal number of gifts to make children's holidays brighter this Dec. 25.
"It's a combination of generosity – the sharing of time, talent and treasure," she said.
