The Glory of Christmas facts for kids

The Glory of Christmas was a special musical show about the birth of Jesus. It was performed every year during Christmas time from 1981 to 2009. The show took place at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. It stopped in 2010 because the church had financial problems. Another show, The Glory of Easter, also stopped earlier that year.

What is The Glory of Christmas?

The Glory of Christmas was a huge show that told the story of Christmas. It was like a traditional Christmas play but much bigger. It felt like a Broadway show with amazing costumes and music.

When did the show start?

The Crystal Cathedral was finished in 1980. The very next year, in 1981, The Glory of Christmas had its first performance.

How many people could watch?

The cathedral could hold 2,736 people for church services. But for The Glory of Christmas, it held 2,508 people. This was because the big stage set took up some space.

How was the stage set up?

It took a whole month to get the stage ready for the show. Workers had to set up the lights, special tracks for angels to fly on, and build the scenery.

What about the music?

The Crystal Cathedral has a very large pipe organ. It has 287 sets of pipes and 16,000 individual pipes! Some pipes are even horizontal, sticking out from the balconies. This makes it one of the biggest pipe organs in the world. The show also featured a full orchestra.

Who helped with the show?

More than 300 people volunteered their time for The Glory of Christmas. They spent over 160 hours each helping out. They were both actors in the show and helpers for the audience.

How was the show performed?

The show used professional costumes for characters like Roman soldiers and the Three Wise Men. The music included popular Christmas songs such as "O Holy Night", "Silent Night", and "Mary, Did You Know?". The singers used different styles, from opera to gospel music.

Amazing special effects

The show used many special effects to bring the ancient story to life.

What animals were in the show?

Real animals were a big part of the performance. There were camels, horses, a yak, a llama, a baby water buffalo, and many sheep and goats. They helped make the scenes feel real.

How did the angels fly?

Angels "flew" through the air using a fast flying system. Sometimes, as many as seven angels flew at once! They could go as high as 24 meters (80 feet) and as fast as 40 kilometers per hour (25 mph). The angels would fly quickly to the highest and farthest parts of the cathedral. Some were 46 meters (150 feet) from the audience and about 27 meters (90 feet) above the floor.

Was there a storm cloud?

Yes, a special machine made a large smoke cloud. It looked like a storm cloud and appeared 6 meters (20 feet) above the audience.

Dance in the show

Dancers performed ballet and other kinds of interpretive dance throughout the show. Their movements helped tell the story.

Recordings of the show

The 1993 performance of The Glory of Christmas was recorded. You can find it on tape and disc.