Using Christmas Cards to Teach the Story of Christmas

Christmas cards can be used to teach about the birth and infancy of Jesus in a number of ways. First, collect a range of Christmas cards, either as cards or downloaded from the web. Make sure that most cards present nativity scenes, symbols and/or graphics. Including a small number of cards that do not present bible scenes can also be useful.

Realise that many (most?) scenes presented on Christmas cards are not accurate and reliable representations of the stories of Jesus’ birth and infancy as recounted in the gospels of Matthew and Luke (the only gospels in the bible that present this part of Jesus’ story). This realisation is a resource for students who can analyse and evaluate similarities and differences between the cards and the gospel stories.

The activities here ask students to compare and contrast the images on the cards with the gospel stories. Students can also classify the images, re-imagine alternatives, and recount the stories in the gospels and the stories on the cards.