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Catherine Castle's Holiday blog series, Christmas traditions, Home for the Holidays, nativites, pictures of nativities
A Nativity Collection Tradition
Today marks the end of the Home for the Holiday blog series. I hope you’ve all enjoyed meeting new authors and finding out how they celebrate the Christmas holidays. I’m closing out the series with a photo display of a few items from my Nativity collection. Every other year they go up on the sideboard I inherited from my mother. Opposite years get the Christmas village collection. The sideboard is getting quite full, and it takes me a long time to unwrap and arrange the Holy Family.
I especially love the unusual nativities, like this Celtic stone nativity.
And the American Indian nativity.
This next set was made by my sister and sister-in-law. I received it for Christmas in 1970. It has a lighted stable, which you can see in the background. Don’t you love the expression on the little shepherd boy’s face? The small items in front of the manger are the wisemen’s gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense. I picked the gold nugget up on a trip out west. I don’t remember where the other gifts came from.
Here’s another favorite of mine-a Southwest design. The arms above the birds are three candleholders.
This is the oldest nativity I have. It’s a matching set of bookends painted by my husband when he was in grade school, and yes, I do display it.
And I can’t forget the needlepoint set crafted by my mother-in-law. The stable has “wings” on each side so it stands upright on its own, as do the Holy Family pieces.
These are just a few of my assortment of nativites. I have dozens more of all sizes and shapes, from Lennox china nativities to paper nativities. When we travel, I’m always on the hunt for them. Santa and his reindeer may be fun, but, to me, a nativity embodies the real spirit of Christmas.
What about you? Do you have a favorite nativity that you display at Christmas?
Thanks for sharing Home for the Holidays with me and my guest authors this year. I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as we have.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!
Catherine Castle 