Bethlehem Revisited

We discovered a new favorite Texas Christmas tradition this year! Too bad this will probably be our last Texas Christmas! We went to Waxahachie with our friends the Makins and the Hirschis to “Bethlehem Revisited” It was by far my favorite Christmas activity we did all year. Dan and I had been talking about other ways we could make Christmas more Christ-centered this year, and this was the perfect way! My friend Karina told me about it, and it was the perfect activity for our family. All the churches in Waxahachie joined together to put on this inter-denominational re-enactment of Bethlehem. You walked through the “town gate” and found yourself in a replica of a market in Bethlehem. They had different shops such as jewelry-making, an olive press, basket weaving, a little schoolroom, fruit stands, a place to buy herbs, perfumes, etc. There was one “family” who invited us in their “home” to share a meal with them. We sat around on a blanket while the father talked to us about their customs. As he talked he passed around pomegranates, hummus, and other foods they ate. While he was talking, his wife was outside making flat bread over the outdoor stove for us to eat with our hummus. It was incredible! As we walked through the village, we were surrounded by shepherd families herding their sheep, people with donkeys, “Roman guards” with real camels, etc. The best part though, was when Joseph led Mary through the crowd on a donkey looking for a place to stay. They had a living nativity set up where you could sit while someone read the nativity story from the New Testament. The wise men came and brought gifts and everything. They even had Roman guards come break up the crowd and come up to individuals in the crowd and demand to know what all the commotion was about. I can’t say enough good things about this whole experience. If you are going to be in the Dallas area in the month of December, you have to go! It took us about an hour and a half to get there, but the whole experience and the conversation we were able to have with Jacey on the way home was well worth it!