When I was growing up, my father and mother would take me and my sister to see The Nutcracker Suite at the performing arts center in Marin County, Calif. It was one of many family outings we did each year around the Christmas season. When I was older, going to see a performance of Handel’s Messiah was added to the mix.

When the kids get old enough to sit through a live performance, including this type of activity in the mix of things you do as a family can really add depth and color to the memories of Christmas your children build. Attending Christmas plays, performances and concerts offer wonderful holiday entertainment for all members of the family and provides another way to enjoy the festivities of the Christmas season.

The beauty is, you don’t usually don’t have to venture too far from your home to enjoy a Christmas play or concert. That’s because amateur actor troupes, singers and budding musicians in your neighborhood will often take part in several Christmas performances for local residents. These amateur but entertaining events can be found at local schools, churches or at a community theater or performance center. Of course, if you live near or in a larger city, your options grow exponentially.

Traditional stage performances that take place during this time of year include:

The Nativity Story
Christmas is the celebration of Christ’s birth, so it makes sense to tell the story of his birth and the coming of the three wise men at this time.

A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens’ Christmas classic has been adapted for the stage as both a drama and a musical. I saw one performance years ago … I make sure to see it because I guy I had a crush on was in it … that was really very good. It never ceases to amaze me how inventive stage special effects can be!

The Nutcracker Suite
Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet is an adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffman’s story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.” Composed in 1891-92, The Nutcracker Suite tells the story of a young girl who has a dream on Christmas Eve of a Nutcracker Prince and a fierce battle with a Mouse King. After a fierce battle between the Nutcracker, who leads an army of toy soldiers, and the Mouse King who leads an army of mice, the Nutcracker is captured. But the little girl throws her slipper at the Mouse King, hits him in the head and kills him. In the end, the Nutcracker turns into a Prince and takes the little girl to the magical and enchanting Land of Snow with dancing snowflakes and the Land of Sweets with the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Other popular performances include concerts of Handel’s Messiah, Christmas carols and classical Christmas music.

What makes local Christmas performances special is that members of the community and maybe even of your own household can be among the entertainers. It is therefore special to see familiar faces doing something interesting and different.

For those who are budget-conscious, the performances are usually priced to be very affordable, therefore offering an economic incentive to go out and have an enjoyable afternoon or evening.

Attending Christmas plays, concerts or musical performances serves the basic purpose of entertainment, but it can also help young people — and even adults — to develop an appreciation for the arts. Seeing different variations and the creativity in performances of Christmas plays, as well as hearing different renditions of Christmas songs, can be the first exposure that leads to a lifelong love of the arts and maybe a dream to pursue a career in the arts, as well.

I’ll admit it … I love music from the 1980s. And there were some pretty spiffy Christmas songs that came out of that decade, too. Here are some I found on YouTube.

Do They Know It’s Christmas?

There were two major charity songs that came out of the 1980s: “We Are the World,” the American effort, and “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”, the British Effort. Although some of the lyrics are just plain silly, I liked the music and sing-along-ability of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” better.

Last Christmas

This Christmas song came off Wham!’s second album, which also included “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go”. I love that album and many of the tracks are great fun to sing along with. “Last Christmas” doesn’t disappoint.

Jingle Bell Rock

This is one of my favorite Christmas songs and Hall & Oates cover of it not only keeps up the fun be-bop rhythm but also showcases Daryl Hall’s vocal flexibility. Plus the video is just plain fun.

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

John Cougar Mellencamp’s cover of this clever little Christmas song is my absolute favorite. It is so fun and danceable. John really makes “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” his own.

Christmas In Hollis

What review of 1980s Christmas music could leave out Run DMC. This rap/hip-hop band performed some of the best accessible rap music of the decade.

Did you know that you can find Christmas music videos on YouTube? Just go there and type “Christmas” in the search field. Here are some to get you started.