December 23, 2016

  • Looking at the Nativity

    Sparky has always liked nativity sets. Over the years we have had several. One of our first was hand made from home-made play-doh. I made it using cardboard cones and toothpicks. The boys were in preschool and they helped by making the sheep and cow. It was our only nativity until the next year when son #1 made a diorama nativity in kindergarten. We displayed them both for many years. One Christmas I opened the decorations and upon extracting the carefully padded and packed nativity discovered that time and mice had destroyed Mary, Jesus, and 2 out of the 3 wise men. There was a wail that went up when it was determined that the nativity was beyond repair. I was immediately commissioned to replace it with a ceramic version as close to the original as possible. Thus the nativity below was created.
    20161206_195608
    Over the course of a few years the camels and sheep were added along with the cow. Only the animals are whistles. I figured it might not be very proper to make the people into whistles. I just can't conscience blowing in Mary's backside.

    This nativity was a gift to Sparky one Christmas from my parents. It is a very traditional porcelain set. The figures are quite large making it a challenge to find a big enough spot to get all the pieces set up. This year we found room on the family room entertainment center. As soon as the old "big box" TV dies it will be replaced with a flat screen and the entertainment center will go away! The nativity will have to find another display area... As you might notice the baby Jesus is missing. He won't appear in the manger until Christmas eve. Sparky is very insistent on that point.
    20161206_194551

    The kitchen nativity is one my Mother gave us shortly after son #1 was born. It is plastic and nearly indestructible. Making it very kid-friendly. It is however very small and we tend to put it up out of reach. The kitchen window has traditionally been its spot!
    20161206_194511

    Sparky managed to find this set at a rummage sale. He is enamored of the Playmobil figures since he had them as a child. These are the vintage set. They still make them but they've been updated - newer is not always better... I decided to give the angel wings and suspend her from the tree so that she appears to hover over the Holy Family.
    20161206_194425

    This last set was one of those things that just appeared in our decorating boxes. I can't remember if it was a gift form a Sunday School student, a door prize at a Christmas Party at church, something I picked up in an after Christmas sale, or a find at a garage sale. Who knows? It is however a very 1960's stylized nativity in a durable wood. It has always found a spot in the living room. It isn't flashy or ornate - just a simple creche. I like it  better than the big fancy porcelain version. I always think that that first Christmas was rather a simple affair. Not counting the angel chorus and all the shepherds...
    20161206_194334

Comments (12)

  • I love the nativity figures! I should start collecting them too!

    • I even forgot to add the photos of the ones from Haiti that Sparky's sister brought back when she went on a mission trip to help at a hospital (she's a nurse). I'm hoping we don't accumulate too many more as I'm running out of places to put them all!

  • I have truly enjoyed catching up today. I remember when Baby Jesus was not placed until Christmas. Now I'm afraid I will forget so he is there. :-)

    • Hehe! Sparky is a stickler but so many of the mangers have Jesus as a fixed part - can't take him out of the manger! I guess that prevents the unthinkable of having him get lost or broken!

  • Ohhh, I like all of them. I bought magnetic figures this year and put them down low on my fridge. The little ones haven't been over yet to play with them.........tomorrow morning they will be. My favorite one is under our tree. It's like the cardboard kind we had when I was little. I paid way too much for it at Amazon or E-Bay. I don't care. I like it.

    • The diorama son#1 made is still in the Christmas box but is so beat up and fragile that I don't dare put it out for fear it will disintegrate further! I bet the kids will really enjoy the magnetic nativity!

  • All of them are beautiful ~ adorable!

  • I enjoyed seeing your variety. I almost made took pictures of the different church lawn displays to make a post. We have. Fisher Price set at the nursery, almost like your Play Mobile one.

  • Aww. I love all your nativities. It is amazing that you have had them for this long and they haven't been broken. I love your first set the most.

Comments are closed.

Post a Comment