‘Dough Holy Night’

CEDAR KNOLLS  Blake Ayars, 9, and younger sister Skylar, 8, wait patiently for the oven to finish baking so they can savor the sweet goodness of a batch of Snickerdoodle cookies they made. With time to spare, the siblings of Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Parish here take a break for something sweeter: watching a new video from the parish they had put on pause, which retells the story of Jesus’ birth using Christmas cookies decorated as Nativity figures, including Baby Jesus.

During Advent, the Ayars and about 200 religious-education students, 5- to 10-years old, and their families watched the 16-minute video on YouTube, “Dough Holy Night: a Sweet Celebration of our Dear Savior’s Birth,” hosted by Father Alex Nevitt, Notre Dame’s parochial vicar, and Diane Byrne, elementary faith-formation coordinator. Together, they retell the Nativity story with the help of Christmas cookies as well as a few cartoon images, Christmas songs and a dash of humor — while baking Snickerdoodles on camera along with many of the children who are watching.

While taping the video in the rectory kitchen, Father Nevitt and Byrne make sure to impart the important Saving message baked into the story to the young viewers: that Jesus and the miracle of His birth are the reason for the season. The video debuted on Dec. 10.

“I liked that they [the hosts] put cookies in the story. They had Baby Jesus. Father Alex was funny,” said Blake Ayars, who watched the video on Notre Dame’s YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/c/NotreDameofMtCarmel, with sister, Skylar, and their mother, Jennifer. Together they baked Snickerdoodles at home along with the hosts. “The cookies looked good and tasted yummy,” Blake said.

Many families laughed when in the video, Father Nevitt professes his love for Christmas cookies, says he can’t wait to bake them and then impatiently eats some of the ingredients of the Snickerdoodles separately before he and Byrne mix them in a bowl. Behind the counter of the kitchen, he eats some sugar, vanilla extract and even some butter before declaring, “These are the worst cookies I’ve ever eaten.” After they bake cookies, Byrne reminds Father Nevitt that the ingredients must be mixed together and then baked to “make something sweet.”

“It’s like in the Bible. God mixed together an incredible true story about the birth of Jesus. Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, the angels, the three Wise Men and the manger all created an amazing story,” says Byrne, who like Father Nevitt, dressed in a chef’s apron.

After combining the ingredients in a mixer, placing the cookies on a tray and putting them in the oven to bake, Father Nevitt and Byrne slide sugar cookies decorated like the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Angel Gabriel across the counter on screen. They start the Nativity story with the Annunciation, noting that the Blessed Virgin was first “freaked out” by the sight of Gabriel who told her, “Do not be afraid.” He then told her that she would bear a child who will be called the Son of God. Soon, Mary was pregnant with Jesus.

Then, cookies of Joseph and Mary appear on screen as the hosts tell viewers about their travels to the town of Bethlehem to be counted for the Roman census. To dramatize the action, they move the cookies across the counter and then cut to a cartoon image of Joseph walking beside Mary, perched on a donkey during the journey. All the inns of Bethlehem were full so Mary and Joseph find shelter in a stable that is “dirty and smelly,” Byrne says.

“That night … in the middle of the cows and sheep, there was the sound of a baby crying. Jesus was born,” says Byrne, along with the full cast of Nativity cookies on the counter. “The three Wise Men … were so filled with joy, they bowed down and worshipped Jesus … [and] gave him gifts fit for a king,” she says.

Skylar and Blake Ayars “loved the video. It was at their level. It kept their attention,” said their mother, Jennifer.

The “Dough Holy Night” video was whipped up by Byrne who was “looking for something for our religious education families to do at home because we can’t do what we normally do at church.” Notre Dame has been conducting classes online to keep everyone safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. She Googled ideas and found a video of “Dough Holy Night” produced by Go! Curriculum. Byrne bought the rights to use the video but tailored it to the parish. She adapted its script, which was written for a Protestant audience, and used its cartoon images and songs. But Diane asked Father Nevitt to remove footage of its original hosts so they could take over that role. Rose Carroll, a parishioner, decorated the Nativity cookies, she said.

Recently, Father Nevitt and Byrne taped the production in the rectory kitchen using video cameras from various angles — footage that was edited together with the cartoon images and music. In comic terms, she played the “straight man” while he served as the more animated “comic relief.”

“This was a fun, high-energy way to impart the story of the birth of Jesus to the kids. It also was a way to bring together families at this time for something to enjoy, learn from and have a laugh,” said Father Nevitt, noting that the video also fits in with Notre Dame’s increasing efforts to use technology to reach out to parishioners.

Also watching the video was Rita Gesualdo and her son, Luke, 5. They also baked Snickerdoodles along with the hosts.

Rita Gesualdo said that Luke “really enjoyed it. At this age, Luke is focused on Santa, presents and family. The video helped him comprehend more now the true meaning of Christ — that it’s Jesus’ birthday.”

“I liked the cookie video. My favorite part was ‘using a gallon of sprinkles’ [on the cookies as Father Nevitt suggests],” Luke told The Beacon.

In the video, Father Nevitt and Byrne agree that they love everything about Christmas: the tree, the presents, the music, the family gatherings, the decorations and especially the cookies. However, the priest tells viewers that the reason for the season is found in John 3:16: “God so loved the world that he sent his only Son.”

“We are celebrating Christmas — Jesus coming here to the world. Remember that Jesus is the sweetest part of the season,” Father Nevitt said.