I was sitting here thinking about how we celebrated Christmas during my childhood.

One of the events that still stands out in my mind was the annual Christmas Pageant.  This play was held every year in the basement of Union Grove Baptist Church.  The entire congregation would be in attendance on that evening. 

In the basement of Union Grove there was a stage.  The backdrop had a banner that stated boldly: One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism.  All of the social events occurred in the part of the church.

We would be dressed up in our Sunday best.  Some people wore costumes for their part in this event.  The stage was decorated to depict the stable in Bethlehem.

Christmas Pageants weren't just for the children.  Even the adults had parts in the event.  We would receive a portion of a script that we had to memorize and say out loud that night.  Each Sunday School class participated.  We had to walk up in front of everybody and say our piece.  Then we would return to our seats and wait impatiently for the pageant to end.  That is when the goodie boxes were passed out.

Every Christmas we would receive a blue box with the Nativity Scene on it.  The boxes had a white ribbon handle that made it easy to carry.  It was always filled with the best candy!

Orange slices-you know the kind that are coated with sugar, ribbon candy, chocolate bon bons and peppermints.  Plus those little hard candies with flowers in the center.  We would beg to open the boxes as soon as they were placed into our hands.

The Christmas Pageant was my marker of how near Christmas was.  Whenever the pageant was scheduled to occur-I knew that Christmas was getting really close.  I would be so excited by this time of the month!  I knew that school would be letting out soon and that Santa was on the way!