Experience Old World Village’s take on a modern-day passion play Sunday in Huntington Beach

HUNTINGTON BEACH The free 17th annual multi-cultural live Nativity International Celebration, featuring performances from more than a dozen churches, synagogues and ministries, returns to the Old World Festival Banquet Hall on Sunday, Dec. 17.

The event from 6 to 8 p.m. is inspired by the story of a 17th century Bavarian town that was suffering from bubonic plague. Residents of the town prayed and vowed if God spared them, they would stage passion plays.

The play is now performed every 10 years in the village of Oberammergau and includes more than 2,000 actors, singers and musicians. The next one will be in 2020.

However, if you don’t want to wait that long or travel that far, the Old World take on the event is held every year. This year’s performance includes musical bells from the Church of Latter-Day Saints, a Catholic La Posada play, a Korean “We Three Kings” presentation, Vietnamese fan dancers, Hanukkah dancing, a Native American presentation and music in many languages.

Free will donations will also be collected for the World Vision charity.

The banquet hall is at 7561 Center Ave. Information: 714-895-8020, oldworld.ws

Article source: http://www.ocregister.com/2017/12/15/experience-old-world-villages-take-on-a-modern-day-passion-play-sunday-in-huntington-beach/