On December 14th, we hosted our annual Christmas Kids Activities, a special time for the children of our community (and their parents!) to come together in anticipation of the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It was a day filled with fun, laughter, love, and food—but also a meaningful opportunity for reflection on the true significance of the Feast. We wanted our children to understand not only the joyful but also the sacrificial aspect of our Lord’s coming to Earth for our sake, teaching us to care for those in need around us and throughout the world.
Activities and Crafts
As guests arrived, they explored the Games and Crafts Area, which featured a variety of Christmas-themed activities, all organized and supervised by our wonderful volunteers. Children created Christmas tree ornaments, gift cards, and other festive crafts. They also enjoyed fun games, such as “bows in the bowls”, “ping pong cups”, “antlers and rings”, and “pyramid cups”. A huge hit of the day was the Face Painting Station, where the dedicated volunteer worked tirelessly, not even taking a break for food, to ensure as many children as possible had a chance to enjoy the experience.
Prayer and Reflection
Once everyone had gathered, we joined in a short service—an abbreviated version of the Paraklesis, where many children participated by reading. After the prayer, a short sermon encouraged the children to reflect on the meaning of the Feast. Together, they helped Fr Deacon Dmitry retell the Gospel story of the Nativity, using the icon of the Feast and to uncover its lessons for living a Christian life.
Following the sermon, the children engaged in a group activity to consider who might need help and support in their lives and how they could offer it. They also created a series of petitions for the Litany —a heartfelt list of people and causes they wanted to pray for. With compassion and big hearts, they filled three large sheets of paper with petitions to God, which we recited together in front of the Nativity icon, each petition followed by singing, Lord, have mercy.
Food, Fellowship and Raffle.
After prayers, everyone enjoyed a delicious spread of fasting food, lovingly prepared and donated by our volunteers. The fun continued with games and crafts, and the winners of the charity Raffle Lottery were announced, who went home with valuable prizes. All proceeds from the raffle will go toward supporting our parish community. Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed through their donations.
A Visit from Father Christmas
The day’s grand finale was the arrival of Father Christmas! The children sang Christmas carols to invite him in, and he entered in style, leading a lively train dance around the hall. Father Christmas spoke to the children about God’s love, the importance of loving one another, and bringing our worries to God, who will always help us and take care of us. He then handed out gifts to all the children, leaving everyone with joyful hearts.
A big thank you to everyone who joined us for the Christmas Kids Activities. We hope you and your little ones enjoyed the day and will join us again in the future. Special thanks go to our team of hardworking volunteers, who, despite the busy pre-festive season, dedicated their time and energy to make this event possible.
We wish you all a peaceful and joyful Feast of the Nativity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We look forward to seeing you at church for the Divine Liturgy on the Feast Day!