"The Gift of Christ"

On Christmastide week, the students of two Sunday schools operating at our monastery, congratulated their guests on the Nativity of Christ: their teachers, family, friends, and church parishioners.

On January 8th, the feast of Nativity was celebrated at Sunday school in the church of All Saints. The auditorium was full – over 100 people came to the celebration. The highlight of the program was a performance based on O'Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" played by the Sunday school's students and alumni. The stage director, actress Natalya Lebedeva, made the performance both lyric and vivid. The play consisting only of four short acts, nevertheless, impressed the audience and made each think about whether he himself would be capable of sacrificing the dearest possession for the sake of a loved one. The adorning of the play and of the entire Christmas celebration became the songs of the choir directed by a professional concertmaster Natalya Baklanova. A storm of applause in the audience, especially amidst the youngest spectators, was snatched by a puppet performance about the Christmas star. The matinee was completed with a snowball fight; although the snowballs were artificial, the joint merrymaking was real!

A few days later the Christmas celebration took place at the Sunday school of the monastery church of the All-Merciful Savior. The Sunday school cordially thanks "Elizavetinsky" community center that granted the premises for this celebration for which about 200 people had gathered. The audience was treated with Christmas songs, folk instruments performances, nice stagings, especially the joyous and radiant play "The Gift of Christ" about two poor orphan sisters who through their love and faith were able to overcome all the obstacles and about the miracle that happened with them on Christmas Eve... All the roles were played by the Sunday school's students and alumni, its stage director being actress Marina Yegoshina. Due to her work, high professionalism, and love, the performance turned out to be colorful and very moving. The celebration continued with merry round dancing about the Christmas tree; a real Santa Claus, Snow Maiden, and old Shapoklyak (albeit young and elegant). These sorts of kind celebrations help both children and adults to feel as one big united family, while for the students participating in performances this becomes another opportunity to bring joy to other people.