For the Juniors: Candles, cards and carols: Christmas in 1983

Shot of Christmas cards showing the Nativity

On-screen text reads, 'We Wish You A Merry Christmas.'

SONG

# Away in a manger

# No crib for a bed # The little Lord Jesus # Laid down his sweet head # The stars in the bright sky # Looked down where he lay # The little Lord Jesus # Asleep in the hay # The cattle are lowing # The baby awakes # But little Lord Jesus # No crying he makes # I love you, Lord Jesus # Look down from up high # And stay by my side # Until morning is night. #

Shot of man in overalls standing next to Christmas cards on a shelf

MAN

Christmas cards - you've all seen them. There are lots of different kinds. And many of them, like the ones up here, tell the Christmas story in pictures. Mary and Joseph and the Baby Jesus. The Three Wise Men that followed the star to the stable. You'll find them all on the cards. And you'll also find a lot of cards that don't tell the Christmas story at all.

Shot of Christmas card showing a robin tugging at a string of bells while perched on a snowy branch

MAN

A lot of them are simply about the fun of celebrating Christmas.

Shot of a Christmas card with five cats and one rat snug in red stockings that hang over a fireplace

BOY

This is for me.

DAD

Anything over there for me?

BOY

Might be.

DAD

Show me that.

GIRL

There's something...

MAN

Celebrating Christmas - something most of us look forward to every year.

Shot of a mother, father, and their son and daughter sitting next to a white Christmas tree opening wrapped Christmas presents

DAD

I know who bought it for me.

MUM

Santa Claus brought it.

DAD

What else have we got over there? There's one for you. Look down there. What's that? Let me see inside that one.

MAN

One of the ways we celebrate is by giving one another presents. Presents from mums to dads, from brothers to sisters. Another of the special features of Christmas celebration is carol singing.

Shot of a door, which opens to reveal a party of children singing Christmas carols

MAN

In many parts of the world, children go around from door to door singing Christmas carols.

CHILDREN

# Once in royal David's city

# Stood a lowly cattle shed # Where a mother laid her Baby # In a manger for His bed # Mary was that mother mild # Jesus Christ, her little Child # He came down to earth from heaven # Who is God and Lord of all # And His shelter was a stable # And His cradle was a stall # With the poor and mean and lowly # Lived on earth our Saviour holy # Not in that poor, lowly stable # With the oxen standing by # We shall see Him, but in Heaven # Set at God's right hand on high # When like stars # His children crowned # All in white shall wait around. #

MAN

Sometimes people give the carol singers money for their singing, or if they're performance isn't so good, maybe it's to get rid of them. So carol singing can be one of the real features of Christmas. Perhaps you've been to a carol concert, or sung carols by candlelight.

Shot of night-time Christmas carol concert illuminated by the light of candles

CROWD

# Silent night

# Holy night # Son of God # Love's pure light # Radiant beams from Thy holy face # With the dawn of redeeming grace # Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth # Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth. #