History Main / AwayInAManger

Compare MessianicArchetype and CrucifiedHeroShot for the other half of the UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}-analog.

It's Christmas Eve and you are a heavily pregnant woman. Luckily, your due date is still a few weeks away, leaving you free to go out and enjoy the celebrations ... but wait! Before the night is over you ''will'' end up in a stable, on the steps of a church or a similarly [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic symbolic location]], giving birth as the clock strikes midnight. And don't be surprised if there are shepherds nearby or a star overhead.

* One of ''Comicbook/ThePunisherMAX'' series Christmas specials had a twisted take on the Nativity plot, featuring murder and mobsters.

* In a YetAnotherChristmasCarol episode of ''Series/DrQuinnMedicineWoman'', aside from her adventures regarding the first trope, Dr. Mike also has to contend with this one, as she has to assist the pregnant female half of a young couple who has run off and eloped to escape their disapproving families, and have conveniently taken refuge in a stable.

* The 1945 theatrical short "Star in the Night" used this as its main story.

* In MikeRoyko's humorous column "Mary and Joe: Chicago Style," the Nativity is set in 1960s [[TheWindyCity Chicago]], where there's no room for a poor couple from out of town in any of the city's social services. Joseph gets locked up for vagrancy, and Mary gets treated for postpartum delusion when she mentions who her baby's father is. Meanwhile, the Magi are mistaken for hippies and detained for illegal possession of gold and suspicious herbs.

Basically, when a character gives birth on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day in a direct imitation of the Nativity. May be used as the high point of a ChristmasEpisode or the dramatic conclusion to a pregnancy storyline.

Compare MessianicArchetype and CrucifiedHeroShot for the other half of the Jesus-analog.

* In ''Theatre/TheBibleTheCompleteWordOfGodAbridged'', the Nativity is sent up anachronistically, like many other Bible stories included in the play. One of the Wise Men quips that it's tough luck for a child receiving presents that his birthday falls on Christmas. When {{Jesus}} is finally born, they sing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" to him.

* Hiccup from ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'' already embodies the MessianicArchetype in a number of ways, but Hiccup was born not just as a hiccup (small, sickly and weak), but ''prematurely'' as well, making his manger metaphorical. It's nothing short of a miracle that he survived to adulthood in those times, ''especially'' when his village was attached by massive, flying monsters of varying shapes and sizes on a near-daily basis.

[[BlessedWithSuck It's going to suck for that baby to have their birthday and Christmas presents lumped together for the rest of their natural born life.]][[note]][[TakeAThirdOption Unless the parents decide to celebrate their half-birthday instead.]][[/note]]

* Viciously parodied in a ''FamilyGuy'' ChristmasSpecial, where Peter denies help to a husband and his highly pregnant wife, ON Christmas Eve, [[UpToEleven after he's just finished retelling the story of Jesus birth]], and goes as far as threatening them with a gun.

* Alice in ''TheVicarOfDibley'' gave birth while on stage playing Mary in the village nativity play. Everybody thought [[AllPartOfTheShow it was an act]]. She had to be seen to by a vet. Is very much a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming.
-->'''Alice''': I'm confused. Have I, in fact, given birth to the Son of God?
-->'''Geraldine''': No, because for one thing, she's a girl, isn't she.

* The last-ever BBC episode of ''BirdsOfAFeather'' had Sharon giving birth in an Irish stable on Christmas Eve.

* ''{{Nightingales}}'' has a heavily pregnant woman named Mary arrive on Christmas Eve at the office block where the show is set. After assuring them she's not an allegory, she then proceeds to give birth to, among other things, a toaster, the Pope, Harold Pinter and a tandem.
* ''WalkerTexasRanger'' not only has this, the happy couple are named Jose (who gave up a life of crime in a gang and is now running a woodworking shop) and Maria.
** That's fairly subtle for this show...
* Done in an episode of ''{{Moonlighting}}''. It included a trio of FBI agents, all of them named Wiseman.
* ''{{Newhart}}'' had an episode where it was Christmas Eve at the Stratford Inn and a guest ended up giving birth. Luckily for her, there happened to be a group of snowbound physicians staying there as well. In the tag, three brothers named "Weissman" showed up to check in.

* Parodied in the ''{{Bottom}}'' episode "Holy", when Richie finds a baby left on the doorstep of the flat during their Christmas party. True to form, following a few similarities to the Nativity story he lets this go [[AGodAmI completely to his head]]. Convinced that he's the "Mother of God" and has maintained his virginity because he's "better than everyone else in the world", he threatens that the other characters will be sent to Hell by [[{{God}} his 'husband']]. [[spoiler: It turns out it's the grandson of their landlord, who left him on the step because he couldn't be bothered dealing with the kid himself.]]

* In ''Theatre/TheBibleTheCompleteWordOfGodAbridged'', the nativity of {{Jesus}} is sent up anachronistically, like many other Bible stories included in the play. One of the Wise Men quips that it's tough luck for a child receiving presents that his birthday falls on Christmas.

*

* Done in one episode of the ''TheOuterLimits'' revival series, with the baby literally being born in a manger, or a barn atleast. The real kicker? [[CloneJesus Said baby is the clone of Jesus]], and proceeds to save his parents from a pursuing christian cult leader who wants to raise the child under his own strict control for his own purposes. The last shot of the episode is of the new family walking down a highway together and getting picked up by a passing trucker.

* Done in one episode of the ''TwilightZone'' 80's revival, with the baby literally being born in a manger, or a barn atleast. The real kicker? [[CloneJesus Said baby is the clone of Jesus]], and proceeds to save his parents from a pursuing christian cult leader who wants to raise the child under his own strict control for his own purposes. The last shot of the episode is of the new family walking down a highway together and getting picked up by a passing trucker.

[[BlessedWithSuck It's going to suck for that baby to have their birthday and Christmas presents lumped together for the rest of their natural born life.]][[note]]Unless the parents decide to celebrate their half-birthday instead.[[/note]]

->'''Cody''': [[RoadTripPlot Isn't this weird? Mary and Joseph are traveling together...]]\\
'''Zack''': [[ChristmasSpecial On Christmas Eve...]]\\
'''Maddie''': [[TheWoobie And there's no room for them in the inn...]]\\
'''Arwin''': [[InstantBirthJustAddWater And a child is born.]]\\
'''Esteban''': [[LampshadeHanging What a coincidence!]]\\
'''London''': [[AsianAirhead I don't get it.]]

-->'''Maddie''': ''Isn't that interesting. Mary and Joseph are traveling.''\\
'''Cory''': ''There is no room for them in the inn.''\\
'''Zack''': ''And that night a child is born.''\\
'''Esteban''': ''[[LampshadeHanging What a coincidence]].''\\
'''[[TheDitz London]]''': ''[[WhatAnIdiot I don't get it]].''
-->-- ''TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody''

* In the nuclear holocaust movie ''{{Threads}}'', Ruth gives birth in a stable because a guard dog prevented her from reaching the nearby farmhouse. She is then seen in a mock nativity tableau, sitting around a fire with other survivors on Christmas Day.

* Happens in the Steve Martin film ''MixedNuts''.

* In ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody'', the ChristmasEpisode featured a couple named Mary and Joseph, and Mary gave birth [[BornInAnElevator in the Tipton elevator]] on Christmas Eve. And since the show takes place in a hotel, there was "no room at the inn".
** Everyone noticed the coincidence and hung a lampshade on it, except for [[TheDitz London]] who [[WhatAnIdiot didn't get it]].

* ''AdventuresInOdyssey'' "Unto Us a Child in Born", in which Mary Barclay, playing Mary in a live radio play of the Nativity has to be rushed to the hospital.

[[folder:Theatre]]
* ''Theatre/RockOfAges'': Okay technically, not Christmas time, not in a manger, but there is an angel! "Don't Stop Believin'"

----

'''[[TheDitz London]]''': ''[[WhatAnIdiot I don't get it]].''\\
--''TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody''

* One of ''ThePunisher'' Max series Christmas specials had this plot.