My Jacket Smells Like Bethlehem

Which, incidentally, is a lot like smoke, incense and sheep.

I dragged my sister and King to see the Living Nativity last night. I was expecting... well, I guess a donkey and a bunch of people in robes and maybe a fake baby Jesus.


Instead it was more like: And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.([And] this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)Luke 2:1

When it was our turn to fill out the census, my brother learned just how much Latin he doesn't know.

Roman Census Taker: Quam vetus es vos?
Me: *stage whisper* I think he's asking how old you are
King Devon: uhhhhhhhhhhhh, *looks around* XX?
Roman Census Taker: viginti?
Minischooligan: If you went to Starbucks more you totally would have known that.

Seriously, the whole thing was SO. COOL. The church had recreated a replica of the whole village of Bethlehem complete with Centurions, Wise men, and A CAMEL! Oh, yeah, and lots and lots of people in robes. And the best fake Baby Jesus ever.

The coolest thing was that the whole thing was conducted entirely in Latin (Note to self: Do not let King act in loco parentis, Hebrew (Shalom!) and Arabic (A'yaad meelad Saeedah!). Unfortunately we had forgotten to brush up on our language skills before hitting the Bethlehem, so we mostly just walked around wide eyed, confused and occasionally shouting, SHALOM!