From planning to procession: Berlin Live Nativity Parade takes a community

The scene that took place on Main Street in Berlin the evening of Friday, Nov. 28 was quite similar to just about every evening there on the day after Thanksgiving — packed with people bundled up and enjoying the Berlin Live Nativity Parade and candlelighting.

However, while the parade is serene and almost holy as it sticks to telling the story of the birth of Christ, the activity inside the huge storage building at Sheiyah Market is anything but quiet and peaceful.

Rather, it is a boisterous, organized bit of chaos that is a necessity in preparing for the parade.

Inside the walls there are countless men, women and children putting costumes on, preparing their hearts to portray this humble event to the delight of the people who come every year to experience it.

Inside the facility Alana Enriquez was busy directing the frantic flow of people, clipboard in hand, directing people to costumes, arranging groups ready to roll and doing whatever necessary to get every detail finished.

“This is so amazing because the Christmas spirit is flowing,” Enriquez said. “I don’t think anyone realizes how much goes into preparing for this event, but it’s all worth it.”

She said all the costumes are stored in a shed, awaiting this evening to be beautifully displayed. On the morning of the event, she and others arrived around 8 a.m., getting all the costumes out and organizing them into categories, from angels and shepherds to Mary and Joseph, the wisemen, carolers and more.

That afternoon participants begin rolling in to try on costumes and prepare for the big night.

Around 5:30 p.m. organizers line up each group in order of appearance, and in between the first arrival and the parade, the storage building is humming with activity.

She said it is all to create an event many people attend because it remains committed to telling the story of the birth of Jesus rather than focusing on Santa Claus, elves, the Grinch and the many other modern-day characters associated with Christmas.

“Centering everything around the message of the birth of Jesus continues to make this event so special to many people,” she said. “I feel like our community really understands the importance of that message of hope. It’s a lot of hard work and a lot of coordination, but at the end of the day, this is probably one of very few Christ-centered parades for a town. To be part of that is something special to all of us, and there is something nostalgic and purposeful about that.”

She said through all the preparation and hard work, it creates a feeling of family and unity in the community.

Terry Steiner has participated in the parade since 1995. As a wiseman this year, he said the camaraderie and excitement of the event keeps him and many others coming back.

“It’s so focused on the birth of Jesus that it makes it special,” he said. “It’s amazing how big this has grown over the years since it started, but it remains committed to Christ’s birth.”

Michelle Kaufman’s parents own a store in Berlin, and she talked her church women’s group from Mohican Valley Door of Hope in Danville into serving as the carolers, brightly decked out in Victorian-style clothing.

“We all felt this would be very fun, and I simply asked what I could do to help,” Kaufman said. “We got together, and we are happy to help. I love serving and helping others, and this was something we could do together. Plus, the message is so special, and that is important to all of us.”

Jeff Yoder was one of many organizers inside the facility, helping to organize the live animals arriving courtesy of The Farm in Walnut Creek, a list that includes camels, sheep, steer and more.

Like many, he simply wants to be a part of something he firmly believes to be important to the community.

“I like helping the community, and it’s a fun night, an important night,” Yoder said.

Youth also play an integral role, performing as characters in the parade.

Austin Hershberger, one of the shepherds, was in his first year participating as a character. He had never seen the parade before but wanted to be part of it from everything he had heard.

Cassidy Miller portrayed an angel last year and was a shepherd this year. She said it is special when most of the people lining the street unite at the main square and sing and enjoy the candlelighting as one body and one voice.

“It gets everyone in the Christmas spirit,” she said.

Whether local or from out of town, the spirit of Christmas is sincerely present.

Dan and Melissa Kimble from New Martinsville, West Virginia are frequent visitors to Amish Country. However, they had never witnessed this parade before and were eager to see what all the hype was about.

“We came specifically to see this parade,” Dan Kimble said. “We love everything about this area, but we were excited to experience this parade because of the unique way it is presented.”

Despite this day after Thanksgiving being a frigid evening, most in attendance didn’t mind because the joy and message warmed people’s hearts even though their hands and feet may have been cold.