Gorleston community square becomes Bethlehem

Gorleston community square becomes Bethlehem

The community in Magdalen Square in Gorleston turned out in force last weekend to experience Christmas in Bethlehem on the Mag, a free community event that brought the sights, sounds and story of the first Christmas vividly to life.

Around 600 people gathered on Saturday 13 December for the event organised by St Mary Magdalene Church, when the square was transformed into a bustling Bethlehem marketplace. Visitors were welcomed into a scene filled with colour and activity, with stallholders dressed in costume and offering hands-on experiences inspired by everyday life at the time of the Nativity. 

Families watched wool being spun, tried their hand at a carpentry workshop, and decorated festive cookies, all while soaking up the atmosphere of the recreated town square, made all the more real by the presence of living animals, right.
 
A popular feature of the event was the live nativity trail, which sent children searching around the event for six characters from the Christmas story. Mary and Joseph, an Angel, a Shepherd, a Wise Man and even a Roman Soldier were spotted walking through the crowd and interacting with families. Once children had found all six characters, they were rewarded with a small prize, adding a sense of adventure and discovery to the afternoon.
 
Alongside the Bethlehem-themed activities, there was plenty of festive fun on offer. Face painting proved popular throughout the day, while a giant inflatable snow globe invited visitors to step inside for photos and laughter. Father Christmas also made a special appearance in his grotto, delighting younger visitors. Everyone who visited Santa Claus received a copy of The Nativity Story, Brick by Brick, a creative retelling of the Christmas story illustrated with Lego scenes, offering families a keepsake to take home and share together.
 
As the event drew to a close, the focus shifted to the heart of the Christmas story. The Nativity characters gathered on the stage to form a living tableau of the birth of Jesus, watched by a large crowd. The moment was followed by the singing of traditional carols, as voices joined together across the square, bringing the afternoon to a joyful and reflective conclusion.
 
Rev Matthew Price, Vicar of St Mary Magdalene Church, said, “Christmas in Bethlehem on the Mag was about offering something warm, welcoming, fun and meaningful for the whole community. It was wonderful to see so many families enjoying themselves, learning together and engaging with the Christmas story in a hands-on way. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make the day such a success, and to all those who came along to be part of it.”
 
The event was organised by St Mary Magdalene Church as part of its ongoing commitment to serving their community. Volunteers from the church and wider community gave their time to help create costumes, run stalls, welcome visitors and bring the event together. 
 
The photos are courtesy of St Mary Magdalene Church