Live Nativity brings Christmas to Havre

The annual Live Nativity, put on by Van Orsdel United Methodist Church to get people to remember what Christmas is all about by making the Biblically historic event of the birth of Jesus Christ a little more real for the people in Havre, returned to Havre Saturday.

"We just love it," Casey Pratt said. "It's humbling and it's peaceful."

The Live Nativity is a long-standing tradition in Havre, and each year the church puts on the event free to the community. The event includes actors and actresses who portray parts such as Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, an angel and the three wise men as well as live animals, including a donkey, sheep and a miniature horse.

Pratt and his wife, Angela, was at the event with their children Jackson and Caden. Casey Pratt said that they enjoy celebrating Christmas in Havre every year, with the community having a large amount of things for people and their families to do to celebrate the holidays, such as the Holiday Stroll and the Hi-Line Nativity Festival in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Havre which was held last Thursday.

He added that the Live Nativity is a great event because it is a unique experience because it makes the nativity a little more real for people.

"It lets you know that it's real people dealing with real things back then," he said. "It's a humbling experience."

Angela Pratt said that it's great for the community to have such a large variety of things to do every year.

Charlene Lowen, first-year volunteer playing the part of a shepherd, said the Live Nativity event is great because it gets people to remember what Christmas is all about. 

"As a congregation, we really enjoy it and I think the community enjoys it too," she said.

"... I think the Nativity scene kind of is the start to getting everybody ready for Christmas and celebrating their traditions."

This year, the Live Nativity was dedicated to the memory of Jerry Lee Davidson. Davidson and his wife, Pam, have been involved with the Live Nativity for a number of years and have loaned a number of animals to the event through the years. Pam Davidson is continuing to be involved with the event and is brought a llama, Annie, for the event this year.

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See more about Van Orsdel United Methodist Church's Live Nativity in Friday's Hi-Line Living.