Children were encouraged to acknowledge the characters of the nativity story by dressing up as one of the key characters for the Journey to Bethlehem Service in Derby Cathedral on Friday 23 December.
The service comes at exactly the right time for the parents of children who are excited about the imminent arrival of Christmas Eve and children of all ages take part.
The idea is that as the Christmas Crib is blessed and celebrated using special readings and carols, characters from the Gospel stories of the nativity add colour and character to the unveiling of the crib.
“We have quite a few Mary’s and lots of wise men around the place, but that doesn’t matter,” said the Dean of Derby, Dr John Davies, today.
He added: “What matters is that we welcome lots and lots of families who can worship in a relaxed fashion and really enjoy this important moment as Christmas Eve approaches.”