Modern versions of images of traditional nativity characters from the play “The Night Before Christmas”
Christmas is a special holiday. We look forward to it every year with the hope of joy. And when the Christmas star rises above the earth, everyone thinks that a miracle is about to happen. The night before Christmas is special, according to folk beliefs, at this time, evil forces – devils, witches – behave most actively and boldly, trying to drive evil away from good people.
Boys and girls, dressed as nativity scenes, sang carols under the windows of houses and received various treats for it. In these songs, the human soul is completely turned to God and praises him. Children were always the first to go caroling. The culture of Christmas nativity scenes has survived both in modern Ukraine and in Western Europe. In our country, it is mostly as a theatrical form. Annual festivals of nursery art are held in Lutsk, Khrust,
Lviv and various amateur and professional performances of live and puppet nativity scenes, as evidenced by numerous video recordings of such performances (Fig. 10). In December 2023, the city festival-competition “Dnipro. Christmas. Together”. The performance of the team of teachers and lyceum students of our institution was unsurpassed and magical! “Christmas event” from the lyceum was highly appreciated by the expert and professional jury (Fig. 11).
Despite the difficult situation in the country, our people respect their traditions and customs, which is evidenced by theatrical performances, festivals, song contests and other events (Fig. 12, 13).
