A manger is a trough filled with hay out of
which horses, cows, and other animals eat. It's not a very clean place, and
it isn't very comfortable! But Baby Jesus didn't have a crib or a soft bed
like you did when you were a baby. His mother had to use a manger as his
bed.
Do you see how the baby is dressed? Jesus was born more than 2,000 years
ago. Back then, they didn't have sleepers, gowns, or pajamas for babies to
wear. There were no stores where new mothers could buy baby clothes. Most
mothers wrapped their new babies from head to toe in a long, soft strip of
cloth.
After you color the picture above, you can glue some straw or dried grass
inside the manger. If you have a small piece of soft cloth that it's okay
to cut up, you can also make a blanket to cover the baby.
Do you know this popular Christmas song?
Away In A Manger
Away in a manger,
No crib for His bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head.
The stars in the sky looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay.