2-year-old Emilia Wadgymar from Woodlands, Texas, finds her Christmas joy in an unusual place. Unlike other kids who eagerly await Santa Claus, Emilia adores the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus.
Her mother, Tamara Wadgymar, shares a memorable incident. “We went to a place [where] a Christmas village train was set up,” she says. “They changed the nativity this year to be really big. Emilia didn’t even notice the Santa train. She started yelling, ‘Mary! Mary!’ and I started recording.”
This adorable moment, captured in a video, went viral on Instagram. It has over 300,000 likes and millions of views. In the video, Emilia excitedly greets the nativity figures. She says, “Mary! Mary! Hello Virgin Mary. Hello, baby. Hello, Virgin Mary.” She kisses the Baby Jesus cutout and hugs the Mary figure.
The origin of Emilia’s love for these figures lies in her family’s faith. They pray and talk about Mary and Jesus daily. This has deeply influenced Emilia.
Her family has faced significant challenges, including her brother Bernardo’s rare disease. They’ve moved from Mexico to Texas and Florida for his treatment. Despite these trials, they remain thankful and focus on their faith.
Emilia’s genuine affection for the nativity scene has touched many hearts. Her mother explains her teachings to Emilia: “I told her, ‘God gave us Jesus because He loves us.’ And I explained how exciting it was for Mary to be having a baby and how that baby is now born into our hearts each Christmas. Kids really do understand almost anything if you explain it on their level.”
Let us remember, as shown by Emilia’s innocent joy, that the true essence of Christmas lies in God’s love for us, manifested through the birth of Jesus. It should be remembered and celebrated every day in our lives.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
Watch Emilia’s heartwarming reaction to the nativity scene