WORDS Mary Manning

The red carpet has been rolled out. Thousands, millions, of lights twinkle overhead and angels, large and small, fly around directing a few reindeer that seem to have lost their way.

Everything is ready for Heaven's annual Christmas party to begin. Now saints and other celebrities connected with Christmas are moving towards the marquee. The guests of honour, Mary and Joseph, have arrived, along with Mary's cousin Elizabeth. They are escorted by the archangel Gabriel, the messenger, whose job it was to tell Mary she was to become the mother of the Son of God.

The date was 25 March, nine months before Jesus' birth and the date the annunciation is now celebrated. Stopping for a brief interview, Gabriel says he remembers that day well.

‘I had taken the form of a man as angels do when on earth, and I greeted Mary, "Hail full of grace, the Lord is with thee". I didn't want to shock or frighten her as she was very young and although espoused to Joseph she was not yet married and was still living in her mother's house.'

Gabriel understood Mary's concern when she heard his news but he calmed her by saying that the Holy Spirit would come upon her.

‘She replied, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word”. It was a wonderful moment’, he remembers.

Gabriel told Mary of another conception that seemed miraculous, that of her cousin Elizabeth who was well beyond the age for bearing a child. Elizabeth remembers how excited she was when Mary visited her.

'It was wonderful to see Mary and talk about our wonderful news. I was almost ready to give birth and on 6 December my baby was born. He became known as John the Baptist.’

We ask Mary about her about her memories of Jesus' birth.

‘Soon after I told Joseph the good news we took off for Bethlehem where Jesus was born. Like millions of mothers before and after that time I have happy memories of Jesus’ birth. It did not matter that it was in a humble stable. I had Joseph to support me and the stable was warmed by the bodies of the animals. A bright star shed some light in the stable and three wise men who had followed the star visited us and brought beautiful gifts. Choirs of angels sang. It was all very beautiful.’

Mary tells us about another miracle that occurred in Mexico many years later at this time of the year. She appeared to an Indian man, Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, and instructed him to urge the Bishop to build a church.

‘I wanted the church built so I could show my son to all the people. I appeared to Juan in a cold, mountainous region where I had caused roses to grow. I cut some roses, wrapped them in Juan's cloak and told him to take them to the Bishop. When the bishop saw the roses he agreed to build the church and when it was completed the image of my son miraculously appeared on the cloak Juan carried them in. This was the origin of Our Lady of Guadalupe.’

Next we speak briefly to Good King Wenceslas who was known in Prague for giving shelter and food to poor people. He was also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker because of the miracles he is said to have done. Nicholas is revered in many Christian religions and many countries and it is said he might be an early version of Santa Claus because he loved giving gifts secretly, like leaving coins in shoes people left out for him. But he is a humble man who downplays his connection with Christmas and suggests we talk to St Stephen instead.

'It is Stephen's feast day on 26 December, not mine, and if you can't find him here tonight, you can read about him in the seventh chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. I am remembered at Christmas mostly because I happened to be out taking food to the poor on Stephen's feast day. I think it all came about because of the rhyming words, 'Stephen' and 'even' in that Christmas carol you all sing.’

Most of the reindeer have flown off now as this is a busy time for reindeer. Today the ones who pull Santa Claus’s sleigh are known as Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen. But Nicholas tells us their story goes back a long way, to ancient Norse mythology in fact.

‘Thor, the God of Thunder used to fly through the skies in a chariot pulled by goats called Gnasher and Cracker. Although goats still figure in Christmas celebrations in some Scandinavian countries, they were replaced by reindeer in some American customs and literature. So when Clement Moore wrote his catchy song that named all the reindeer everyone loved it and the goats seemed to disappear.'

I ask Nicholas if Santa Claus is at this party, if he is a celebrity in heaven.

‘Of course Santa belongs at a Christmas party. Some people see him as a symbol of consumerism but that is a modern concept. Gift giving is not all about buying things – it's about sharing. Every culture has rituals concerning getting together and giving gifts. Look at all the saints here tonight who gave gifts of one sort or another.'

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