Every Christmas my children beg for a turn to set up our wooden manger scene in a prominent place in our family room. They love arranging the figures and deciding which animals get to be in the stable and which have to stay outside. Sometimes the shepherd stands next to the manger and sometimes he is at the door with his sheep, but no matter who puts it up, the wise men always are placed on the other side of the table. Why? Because they weren’t there on Christmas night! They never made it to the manger. Our manger scene stays up till Epiphany when my boys triumphantly move the wise men over to finally see Baby Jesus.
Not Until the Twelfth Day!
A lot of Christmas books that are available will add the wise men to the Christmas story as if they were some of the characters there to experience the baby in the manger. Even the beloved classic “The Little Drummer Boy” gets is wrong! This may not seem like a big deal, but if the visit of the magi is swallowed up in the general glory of Christmas night, it loses some of its significance. So don’t succumb to the temptation to hurry the magi along on their journey. Wait the full twelve days of Christmas to experience the epiphany story the way it should be!
Epiphany Book
If you’d like to share the story of the visit of the magi with your students this year, this great Epiphany mini book does a wonderful job laying out the events in easy-to-read text and fun pictures. Teachers and students alike love these mini books because they are fun to make and share. They supplement lessons on Epiphany perfectly. Try it out this year!
If you are looking for more ready-to-use resources for your students, check them out in my store.
Looking for related articles? Check out:
12 Wonderful Christian Christmas Activities for Kids
3 People at the Very First Christmas
3 Excellent Advent Songs for Kids – Teach by Faith
Looking for more related articles from other authors? Check out:
Epiphany Activities and Ideas: Creative Ways to Celebrate the Season
