There is something very exciting about a bed of "straw hay" for kids !!!
We imagine what it must be like for Mary and Joseph, tired from the journey, with no bed to sleep on, and giving birth in a stable. So we give up our beds and sleep on the floor each Christmas.
You can make "pretence hay" from shredded used paper or used magazine and surround the sleeping area with a border of shredded paper hay. You can let your kids cut those papers. It would be fun and great for fine motor skills training. The good thing about shredded paper "hay" is that they are clean and easier to clean up, than real hay.
As you sleep on "pretence hay" and relive the scene of the night at Bethlehem, it is a good chance to include Christian education by reading the story of Jesus birth to your child again. It will certainly leave a deep impression in his mind on the birth of Jesus. This has been very exciting for Joshie and he was very receptive to the story. He asked to read one biblical story after any other. Then we prayed, and our Little FECS retreated by himself under the blanket to pray silently on his own. He told me that he prayed to God that mommy, daddy and him will all go to heaven together. Then he prayed for daddy, that he would have the faith to believe. This was the first time J prayed silently on his own. I held it close to my heart. Thank God for this Christmas.
Don't worry if you could not manage to do this on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day itself. We forgot all about it and we only managed to do so on the 26th Dec. As you can see on the picture, we also did not manage to make the shredded paper hay as I only thought of this idea, when we were sleeping on the floor. We just simply pretended that the floor is laid with "hay" and we read a story on the birth of Jesus as we hit the "hay", and it was still great fun :-)
If you want to sleep on real hay, there are hotels in Switzerland, Austria and Germany offering. Here are a few links:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/19/travel/19surfacing.html?_r=0
https://books.google.dk/books?id=6QtSAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT33&lpg=PT33&dq=hit+the+hay+hotels+in+Germany&source=bl&ots=SbDnrZ1LyG&sig=sYt8TkDMlIMEYATS2TnCxilM-6A&hl=en&sa=X&ei=FOydVJLzBuv4ywOajIH4AQ&ved=0CGAQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=hit%20the%20hay%20hotels%20in%20Germany&f=false
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/sleeping-in-a-hay-bed.html
http://www.classic-play.com/traveling-with-kids-a-sleep-in-the-hay-in-switzerland/
http://jackandjilltravel.com/sleeping-on-straw-gimmelwald-switzerland/
https://www.google.dk/search?q=sleeping+on+hay+in+Switzerland&rlz=1C1ARAB_enDK497DK497&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=1019&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=yuydVNPiEcrOygOn7IHACw&ved=0CFsQsAQ
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2680456/Strawcastle-Now-sleep-straw-campsite-barn-Netherlands-horses-need-not-apply.html
http://www.thestar.com/life/travel/2011/04/22/sleeping_around_nothing_frisky_about_this_roll_in_the_hay.html
http://www.reidsguides.com/destinations/europe/switzerland/planning/lodging/t_h_schlafimstroh.html
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| 30 Dec 2014 - Since I only thought of this idea after Christmas, it is too late for this year, but I have started to gather our "Pretence Hay" made from shredded paper little-by-little in time for next year :-) |
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| 8 Jan 2015 - More shredded "pretence hay" gathered for next year :-) |
Our Little FECS was very eager to try sleeping on hay, since we did not get to do it last year, and he has been pestering me for it. Tonight, he tried it for the first time.
Updates: 25 December 2015 (6Y8M20D)
25 December 2015 (6Y8M20D): We were too tired to prepare the straw bed yesterday after the Christmas party at farfar and farmor's place...
We try to sleep like Jesus in a bed of "hay" in the manger... Joshua was very excited, while I was preparing the "straw" bed after Florian has vacuumed the carpet.
All eady....
Jump...
Somersault
J fast asleep on the straw bed.
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