The blog of photographer Kim Ayres

Easter Play?

In most parts of Britain, the Nativity Play at Christmas is the central part of any school year, where primary school children are concerned. Whoever gets to play Mary will undoubtedly go on in life to either create her own million-dollar cosmetics empire, or become a teenage mother. There is no in-between. The rest of the children are hierarchically organised into kings, angels, shepherds and barn animals, with twinkling stars represented by the kids who frequently trip over their own shoelaces.

However, given that the real power of the Christ Story is actually to do with his demise on the cross and subsequent resurrection, it always surprised me there was no nativity-style equivalent play taking place in schools just before the Easter holidays.

I asked a primary school teacher I knew about this once. “To avoid child abuse,” she replied. When I questioned her further she explained that in every class there is at least one little bastard who it would be far too tempting to nail to a piece of wood.

26 comments

Moose said...

Nice one Kim. Have to admit I'd never thought about it. I guess there's the point that a cuddly baby is all sweetness and light and people can happily ignore the real meaning whereas with death, humiliation and torture it's not so easy...

Linked to you from our mutual friend McCrumble...

Kim Ayres said...

Welcome to my ramblings, Moose :)

Sayre said...

I may have to print this out and give it to my son's teacher.

lyndyloo said...

And they think that might be child abuse? My faith in the education system weakens every day.

ramblings... I think not

Luv
Lyndyloo
-x-x-x-

Anonymous said...

Point duly noted, however, many cities and theater companies do perform a passion play, detailing the last week of Christ's life between Palm Sunday and Easter.

Love the blog.

distinctly-not-bearded-Kim

Anonymous said...

hahahah omg that was a great answer she gave..hahahaha.excellent post.

Anonymous said...

After years of dragging Mr. RG and the kids to the traditional Episcopalian C&E church services--Christmas and Easter, I gave up. Just didn't worry about it. RG daughter is in Colorado. I am off only one day, RG son is, well, he NEVER goes to any services. Turns out, RG Son was the only one in the RG family who ended up in church on this Easter--with his girlfriend's family. Ah, the power of a woman that only a mother can never claim....

Sam, Problem-Child-Bride said...

Our pre-school hen's eggs hatched over Easter! I tried but couldn't really work the event convincingly into the Jesus story for the girls. In all honesty, I was floundering a bit about which mother's eggs the bunny took to give away. They (the girls) sensed my weakness and pummelled me with impossible questions ' til I was a jibbering lump on the floor; the chocolate soothed me tremendously though.

Kim Ayres said...

Sayre - is this to encourage or avoid your son getting nailed to a piece of wood?

Lyndyloo - welcome to my ramblings, and thank you for taking the time to comment.

I think it's only abuse if they use real nails...

Original Penguin - welcome to my ramblings and thank you for the compliment - am I to take it that you are also called Kim, but just don't sport a beard?

Quinn - thank you :)

Restaurant Gal - I had a friend who used to go to church to find girls to date (or suss out the hot chicks as was his expression).

Sam - my daughter created a lovely Easter card at school for us all with a bunny leaping out of an egg. I do worry about the standard of biology they teach in primary schools these days...

Pat said...

Well a bunny has to leap out of something!

Unknown said...

You totally have the ability to make me laugh, even though you may have been trying for something else.

Anonymous said...

In all my years of nannying, there were a great many times I wanted to tie a child down in order to keep him (or her) out of trouble. This story brings a whole new meaning.

Kim Ayres said...

Pat - you could be on to something there

Carole - if I made you laugh, then mission accomplished. There was no other agenda.

Julie - I find skipping ropes are infinitely adaptable.

Christina M said...

Hahaha, good one, at least you got an honest answer :-)

Anonymous said...

Hey Kim Ayres - picked you up from the Mosse blog. Great site. Like your blog re Easter Play. Me thinks the teacher you spoke with may have been in the system a bit too long - clearly needs a bit of respite care. Can't refer to little Bs as little Bs these days - they are young people with needs. Remember the mantra - we must be PC at all times!!!!

EG

ADW said...

Funny Blog - linked from El Guapo here in the states. I think the nailing to the cross is a bit much, but 30 lashes is AOK.

Moby Dick said...

Nailing children to the cross: Next on OPRAH!

Mary Witzl said...

Fresh back from Easter doings with my own family -- and the kids are going to be out of school for another week yet, too.

At my sister's church in California, they did indeed have an Easter play and nail someone to a cross a few years back. Well, not really, of course, but it still looked pretty graphic. I was impressed. They wouldn't even let us have candles at Christmas, but these kids got to fiddle around with crosses and nails, even if they weren't exactly the real thing.

I had short hair as a child and always had to play Joseph even though my name was Mary. This struck me as terribly unfair and stupid -- Joseph may have been a guy, but he did not necessarily have short hair -- but no one ever listened to my complaints.

Kim Ayres said...

Christina :)

eg (Scotland) - welcome to my ramblings, and thanks for taking the time to comment :)

ADW - welcome to my ramblings, and thanks for taking the time to comment as well :)

For some reason this post seems to have attracted more new commenters than any other

Mary - ah, school - does its best to screw you up. Sounds like yours were experts

Jen said...

Just one more reason to keep religion out of school, I say.

Eryl Shields said...

Now that I've read all the comments I can't remember what your post said... Enjoyed the comments though!

Pendullum said...

I would have to agree...and this is also why they do not celebrate any of the other 'Saints' as the kids would have a field day...

Brave Astronaut said...

My son was born on Christmas day, making him a natural to get the role of Jesus in the Nativity play in the future.

One of our candidates for his name prior to his birth was John Charles, but we avoided that once he arrived.

Wait for it . . . what would his initials be . . .

Kim Ayres said...

Jen - you could be right

Eryl - I used to think that people came to this blog for the stories, but I'm beginning to think the comments have become the main attraction

Pendullum - wow, I hadn't thought of that - all manner of drownings, burnings and brutal executions. The kids would love it!

Brave Astronaut - you're right! To share the initials with John Cleese could mean he would be forever subjected to people quoting the Parrot Sketch at him!

Pendullum said...

And by the by and by Mr. Ayres...
Where you may feel you are in a harem over at my site... You are one of four men who comment... There is Moobs, Astericks, Kevin Charnas and yourself...
Now, i am off to read this new post of yours!!!

Anonymous said...

I am in fact, called Kim, and no, I don't sport a beard.

Best of luck with the tooth.

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