The period leading up to Christmas at Preschool No. 3 is a special time when the teachers do their best to familiarize the children with Christmas traditions and customs. The children learn traditional carols, pastoral songs and Christmas-themed songs, poems and theatrical performances. They create various works of art, such as Christmas tree decorations, Christmas cards and table centrepieces. They prepare gifts for their parents, while the older preschoolers bake Christmas gingerbread cookies.
It is a preschool tradition to organize pre-Christmas meetings with parents. Celebrating together with parents has become a permanent part of the preschool events calendar and has continued for many years. The meetings take place in every age group and provide an opportunity not only to present Christmas performances by the children, but also to make Christmas decorations together with parents and decorate the Christmas tree together. Depending on the children’s age, the group celebrations have different formats, and each year they follow a different script. This year, the youngest group prepared a musical and spoken-word performance entitled “Around the Little Christmas Tree,” the middle group presented “A Short Carol about Talking Animals,” and the oldest children performed the Nativity play “In the Bethlehem Stable.” Such meetings bring great joy not only to the children, but also to their parents, and they are an excellent way of introducing everyone to the Christmas spirit. They also help strengthen family bonds, while the emotion of loved ones, tears in their eyes and enthusiastic applause express great appreciation for the young performers.
Another long-standing preschool tradition is a shared Christmas Eve celebration, preceded by a performance of the Nativity play by the children from the oldest group. All the preschoolers and the institution’s staff take part in the celebration. After the artistic programme, everyone sits down at the table to taste traditional Christmas Eve dishes: beetroot soup, dumplings and Christmas baked goods. There is also time to exchange good wishes and sing carols together beside the beautifully decorated Christmas tree.
The children from the Branch of Municipal Public Preschool No. 3 and the entire staff extend their warmest Christmas wishes to all the residents of our city.
In Bethlehem, upon the hay, the Saviour is born,
may life treat you as kindly as it can,
and in the New Year, at every hour,
may nothing good pass you by in life.
Information: MPP No. 3 branch