Each and every year, when I have set up the Christmas tree, I also arrange our nativity scene in a special place where it gets its well-deserved visibility. My husband once bought it way before we even met – it is a classical mud people nativity scene from Spain. At first, I had to get used to its simplicity – there was nothing elegant about it at all. Not like the finely chiseled wooden figurines I was used to from my parental home. Or from the annual nativity scene exhibits at my native city’s town hall. But over the years, I have come to treasure the little sculptures with their giant eyes, their painted-on details, their bundles and gifts. It’s a most diverse group of representatives of all classes; there are even two sets of magi, one mounted, the other one unmounted. For lack of space, I arrange them on a plate but in a way that even the smallest one can “look” at the manger. It has become a beautiful ritual, and these days, I keep admiring the simplicity of a scene that was so rough in its nature when it occurred for the first time and that still speaks to so many of us, regardless of our origin or achievements. Merry Christmas!
Quite lovely. Merry Christmas.
I hope you had a Merry Christmas, too, Ray! ours, due to some temporary sickness, was quiet but blissful.
Setting up my treasured Nativity set each year is a special part of my Christmas, too. A pre-World War II set from Germany, with a new stable shelter (since my oldest grandson as a wee child sat on the original wooden one!), this set which has always been a part of my life, is very special to me.
An extra little part of the manger scene was added by my own children… a glass bear. Why? Because my daughters announced a half century ago that no one really knew if there wasn’t a little bear in the stable when Jesus was born. It couldn’t be proved, so their treasured little glass bear deserved to stand in a place of honor protecting baby Jesus. He has stood there proudly ever since guarding Mary, Joseph and their baby.
Christmas traditions in all of our families are unique and special and really important in our memories.
My Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were wonderful. I’m feeling very blessed. I hope your’s were lovely, too!
They were, dear Suzi, thank you!
I love your story of the broken stable because it was sat on (oh, these little boys!) and that of the glass bear. It reminds me of an old Austrian Waggerl story with a green soap frog on the pinnacles of a castle above the stable. Why not? Whatever is logical in a child’s mind enhances the miracle.
Happy New Year!