The Reason for the Season
Humorous Christmas Play for Children's Ministryby Angela and Jessica Simmons
Characters (in order of appearance):
TREE: thinks he is the main attraction
STAR: thinks HE is the main attraction
ANGEL: sweet, but spunky
CARD: extremely cheerful
CANDY CANE: grumbly; not so sweet
BELL: fast talking, knows all and tells all
PRESENT: vain, self-absorbed
STOCKING: feels useless, empty
CANDLE: friendly, personable
DAD
MOM
GIRL
BOY
*ALL CHARACTERS ARE DRESSED TO MATCH THEIR NAMES AND/OR PERSONALITIES.
SCENE ONE: THE LIVING ROOM
Tree is standing proudly at center stage, fluffing out his branches and singing to himself.
Tree: O, Christmas Tree! O, Christmas Tree! How lovely are your branches!!…
Star comes in pouting. One of his points is bent.
Star: What are you so happy about? All you ever do is stand there!
Tree: Yes, but I have a very important job! I stand here proudly reminding
everyone of the reason for the season!
Star: Which is?
Tree: Er…ummm. I forget. Oh, well, what's wrong with you?
Star: I'm really mad at Angel. She thinks she's so perfect! I told her I was
going to sit on your top branches this year, and she said one of my points
is bent and that she is going to be the main attraction!
Tree: Now wait a minute! You both know I’m the main attraction!
Star: But without us, you'd just be a plain old green tree! You need us!
Admit it!
Tree: Whatever!!
Angel Enters.
Angel (to star): There you are! I've been looking all over for you!
Star: What's wrong, Angel? Up in the air about something again?
Angel: Very funny! Thanks to you I'll be tossed in the trash dumpster this
year! What did you do with my halo?!
Star: What??!! It wasn't REAL??
Angel: Just give it back!
Star: Can't do it.
Angel: What do you mean you can't do it? Why not?
Star: We-e-e-ll, I sorta' dropped it, and it….got sucked up in the vacuum
cleaner!
Angel: Oh no! My shiny halo! I'll…I'll…
Star: You'll what? Tickle me to death with your feathers?
Angel: Ohhh! (runs away crying)
Star (following after her, taunting): Hey, angel, how many halos does it
take to break a vacuum cleaner? ONE! ha ha ha…
Tree shakes his head and dusts himself off.
Tree: Now where was I? Oh, yes, (starts singing) O, Christmas Tree! O,
Christmas Tree! How lovely are your branches…
Card enters and runs up to Tree and shakes his "hand".
Card: Hello! How are you, Tree? Isn't it a wonderful day?
Tree: Who made you the official greeter?
Card: Well, nobody exactly…it's just that I have this sunny personality, I
guess! Did I mention what a wonderful day it is?
Tree: Only 852 times!
Card: Oh, well, did I mention that you look extremely lovely today?
Tree: Uh…no. Thanks. I think?
Card: Isn't it exciting? Christmas…with the snow…the logs on the fireplace…
Tree: We don't even have a fireplace!
Card: Oh, I know. But if we did, wouldn't it be great? Life is so good. Life
is wonderful!
Candy Cane enters with a sour look on his face.
Cane: Life Stinks!
Card: Excuse me?
Cane: I said life stinks! Oh, sure, it's fine if you're a tree or a card-
you guys get all the best jobs! But for us candy canes it's miserable! First
they wrap you in this hot cellophane, then they hang you on a tree near a
light so you'll be sure and melt before Christmas, or they give you to some
dirty-faced grubby kid who slobbers all over you, or if you're one of the
really lucky ones, you get a ribbon tied re-e-e-eal tight around your neck
and BAM you're stuck to a present!
Present enters grandly.
Present: Did someone call?
Card (runs over to Present and shakes her "hand") What a lovely ensemble!
You look radiant! How are the children?
Cane: O brother! Don't encourage her- she's already wrapped up in herself!
Present: Well, darling, aren't you sweet? When you look this good, it's hard
to be humble.
Cane: Oh, yeah? I bet you're held together with Big Lots tape!
Present: Perish the thought! My Scotch brand invisible tape came directly
from the mall! My specialty paper is sold exclusively at the Christmas
Store, and, just in case you were wondering, my bow was handmade with the
finest ribbon available to man! Only the biggest, the brightest, and the
best- that's my motto, you know!
Cane: I thought your motto was 'tacky is as tacky does'.
Present: That was last week, darling. Get with the program!
Bell enters.
Bell (speaks fast): Hello everyone! Did you hear the latest? Tree was
singing to himself again, Star is mad because his point is broken, Angel
lost her halo, the vacuum cleaner is broken, and Cane feels miserable! Card
is still flattering everyone and Present is flattering herself again…and…
Cane: And Bell is gossiping again!
Bell: Oh, it's not gossip if it's true, silly! And besides, I'm not saying
anything behind your back that I wouldn't say to your faces!
Tree: Actually, Bell, repeating what you hear and see IS gossip…
Bell: Oh, don't worry, Tree- I won't repeat any of it. I only tell it once!
Present: Oh, don't pay any mind to them, dear. It takes a certain kind of
girl to appreciate good news. Come along, let's take a little stroll and
chat for a while…
Bell and Present leave together.
Card: Well, Cane, isn't there someplace you need to be? I have to "spruce"
up a bit! It IS Christmas Eve, you know.
Cane: Yeah, I guess I'll just go jump in a candy bowl somewhere and wait to
be broken up or slurped or something…
Cane leaves.
Tree (singing again): O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!…
Stocking enters singing.
Stocking: O, Woe is me! O Woe is me!…
Tree: Oh, put a sock in it will ya'?
Stocking: I'm sorry. I didn't mean to mess up your song. But I'm always
messing up everything anyway.
Tree: What do you mean? How could YOU mess things up?
Stocking: Oh, so now you're saying I'm not important enough to mess anything
up!
Tree: No. That's not what I meant at all…I just meant…
Stocking: It's ok. I'll just go over here and hide in the corner and wait
for all the celebrating to be over. I wouldn't want to get in anybody's way
or anything. (Stocking goes over to the corner and slumps down in the floor, looking all
dejected.)
Tree: Oh, great! How am I supposed to get ready for the big night if that
old empty sock's laying around here? Well, maybe no one will see him over
there in the dark…Ahem… (starts singing) O, Christmas Tree! O Christmas
Tree!…
Candle enters, singing.
Candle: This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine…
Tree: Who are you?
Candle: Oh, don't be alarmed. It's just me- Candle.
Tree: I've never seen you around here before.
Candle: No. Every year the family buys one new thing to add to their
Christmas stuff. This year I guess I get to be the "New Kid"!
Tree: Just great! Now I have to explain to somebody else why I'm the main
attraction around here!
Candle: Oh, I already know what's so special about YOU, Tree!
Tree: You do?
Candle: Of course! Everybody knows what's so special about you!
Tree: They do? um, I mean, THEY DO! But just to be sure YOU know why I'm
special…tell me…
Candle: Because evergreen trees are green and alive all year round- they
represent everlasting life!
Tree: Oh, yeah. I knew that. But just to refresh my memory, why is
everlasting life so important at Christmastime again?
Stocking jumps up, startling Candle.
Stocking: I know what my mom and dad say! They say it's because Jesus, the
Giver of eternal life, was born on Christmas!
Candle: That's right! Your mom and dad are right! Do you know why YOU are so
important, Stocking?
Stocking: I'm not special. I'm just…empty…
Candle: You're empty for a reason! You're gonna be filled with treats and
toys for the children tonight. You're going to be the first thing they reach
for in the morning!
Stocking: I am?
Candle: Yes! You show that even the emptiest heart can be filled to the top
with Jesus' love!
Stocking: Wow! I never knew that! I'd better get back to my place! Thanks,
Candle! I'll never forget this!
Stocking runs off happily.
Tree: So, Candle, have you met the rest of the gang yet?
Candle: No, actually, I just got here a little while ago.
Tree: Well, let me introduce you to them. Cane should be in the next room. Cane! CANE! That's strange. He was just here a few minutes ago. Maybe Card is still around. . .Card!
Card enters enthusiastically.
Card: Hello, Tree! Who's your friend? (Card goes over to Candle and shakes
his "hand") Very nice to meet you! I'm Card. I'm the official greeter. My
goodness, you are bright and cheerful!
Candle: Thank you, Card. It's nice to meet you, too.
Tree: Card, why don't you round up the others so Candle can meet them?
Card: Ok! (Card yells loudly, right past Tree's face) Angel! Bell! Cane!
Present! Come in here, please!
Tree (to Card): I could've done that!
Bell and Present enter.
Present: Oh, heavens, what IS it! It's not time for the celebration yet is
it? Bell and I were just catching up on the latest goss…er um…news.
Bell: Guess what, everyone? There's a new kid in town and I hear he's very
bright!
Candle goes over to Bell, who didn't see him at first, and holds out his
"hand" to shake hands.
Candle: Hello. You must be Bell. I'm Candle, the new kid.
Bell (a little embarrassed): Oh…hello…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…
Candle: It's ok, Bell. I know you have to talk all the time- it's your job!
Bell: It is? I have a job?
Candle: Yes. Tomorrow morning people will know it's Christmas because all
the church bells will ring out loud and clear! And all the little bells like
you will jingle and jingle!
Tree: If you can hear the jingle over Bell's yacking!
Candle: Now, Tree. I'm sure Bell's just excited and doesn't know what to do
with all her energy.
Bell: That's right! I never realized it before, but that's why I always tell
everything I know- But now I'm just going to jingle the good news about
Christmas everywhere I go!
Bell shakes the bells attached to her costume.
Bell: What is Present's job, Candle?
Present: Job?! I don't have a JOB! I'm merely here to please the eye. I look
good. It's what I do! It's ALL I do!
Candle: Present! I can't believe you think that's all you're here for! You
DO have a job! Your job is to represent the greatest Gift ever given!
Present: It is?
Candle: Yes! Jesus was God's gift to the world, and that's why people give
gifts to each other at Christmastime. It's not the pretty paper and bows-
it's the love that counts!
Tree: Hey, everybody, where's Cane?
Angel and Star enter.
Star: Yeah, where's CANE? Never mind about Star! Hey, who's the new kid? Oh,
I see how it is! Star's got a broken point so we need a new light around
here, huh?
Angel: At least you've GOT all your parts!
Star: Still bitter about the halo thing, Angel? (Star walks over to Candle)
So, you think you're gonna take my place, huh? You and whose army?
Candle: Oh, no, Star! I could never replace YOU! You stand for the great
light that led the wise men to Jesus! You remind people that wise men and
women still seek Jesus!
Star: I do? I mean, I DO! So…what're YOU here for?
Candle: Well, I'm not exactly sure. I know God has a purpose for me, but I
was hoping someone here could tell me what it is.
Tree: Maybe Cane would know. Where is he? I've been a little worried about
him lately.
Star: I don't know, but we saw a kid with something sticky all over his
face…
(Loud gasps from all and lights go down)
SCENE TWO: CENTER STAGE IN FRONT OF CLOSED CURTAINS
Spotlight on Angel.
Angel: I can't believe I've been so selfish. I'm worried about a missing
halo and Cane's gone! What kind of Angel are you if people can't tell you're
an angel when your halo's not on? I wish Cane were here. (Cane walks up
slowly behind Angel and hears all she says from this point on) I'd tell him
how he is so important because he reminds people of the staffs the shepherds
carried and because his red stripes remind people of Jesus' blood that was
shed. I'd tell him that he's shaped like the letter "J" for Jesus. I'd tell
him that I miss him and…
Cane: Angel…
Angel: What? Wh…Who's there?
Cane: Angel, it's me, Cane. I found something for you. It's a little bent,
but here it is. (Cane puts a halo on Angel's head and straightens it.)
Angel: Oh, Cane! (She hugs him) I'm so glad to see you! We've got to tell
the others you're ok!
Cane: Do the others miss me, Angel-- REALLY miss me?
Angel: Yes! Very much! And there's a new kid… (they exit and lights go off)
SCENE THREE: THE LIVING ROOM
Tree, Star, Card, Present, Bell and Candle are standing around worrying
about Cane. Cane and Angel enter.
Angel: Hey, guys, look who I found! (Everyone is happy to see Cane. They
give him hugs and smiles, etc.)
Star: Hey, Angel, you got your halo back!
Angel: Yeah, Cane found it for me.
Star: I'm glad. You look much better with your halo. I'm sorry I lost it.
Angel: That's ok. I'm sorry I made fun of your broken point. Maybe I can fix
it a little… (Angel goes over to Star and straightens his point)
Cane: Boy, things sure have changed around here since the new kid came! I
hardly recognize anyone!
Tree: You know, Cane, you're right! Candle, I think I know what your job is!
Candle: You do?
Tree: Yep. Your job must be to lead people to the Truth. You showed each one
of us how important we are to God, and now we're treating each other better,
too!
Candle: I think you're right, Tree!
Tree: Well, we'd better get ready for the celebration. I think I hear the
family coming! Places, everyone! Look alive! (Tree gets strange glances from
everyone regarding this command) …Ok, so don't look alive!!
ALL FREEZE. A family of four enters.
Dad: Look how nice the tree looks this year!
Mom: It's perfect!
Girl: I like the new candle!
Boy: Look, Mom! A CANDY CANE!!!
LIGHTS OUT.
Copyright 1999 Angela and Jessica Simmons
phoenix01@zoominternet.net
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