Nativities from Around the World
A global celebration
Back in college I visited a friend whose mom collected nativity sets from all over the world. I thought that was a terrific idea. The unique qualities different cultures contributed to the classic scene added to the beauty of the story of Christ’s coming.
I grew up with this Filipino set that my parents received when we lived there. You’ll notice baby Jesus is wrapped in swaddling clothes. It’s not because he’s naked, but rather his dear little poorly-carved body is the source of hilarity rather than reverence. Not that there can’t be humor in the birth of Christ—it is a Cosmic Comedy after all—but sometimes it’s better to avoid the clowns.
Since college I’ve created my own collection. Kraig and my first set was a wedding gift, a set that I’ve since seen in other friends’ homes. I didn’t pull mine out this year, but it’s a lovely ceramic set with anglicized figures. One of the shepherds even looks like he’s wearing a nightshirt!
When we lived in Mexico we collected a few sets. Almost everywhere you go around Guadalajara, you can find this set in different sizes and basic colors. Inevitably, Joseph is blond, and the three magi fit the classic Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. Mary, in good Catholic tradition, has a halo, as well as the angel, and the shepherds are often girls bearing simple gifts of fruit and drink.
We did get a miniature set of this style which we affectionately call the angry nativity, because of the way the eyebrows were painted on each character.
Another common style of Mexican nativity is this one made out of corn husks.
Kraig’s parents lived all over Africa for years, and during that time, Mom Warnemuende gifted us with some beautiful sets.
In this one from Kenya, every character’s mouth is in a little “o” as if they’re all in full chorus. This year a clay teddy bear Evie made joined the party.
I love this fabric Ghanan nativity with its vibrant colors, and how the Christmas star is incorporated with the angel.
Somewhere along the way Mom Warnemuende received this straw nativity, I believe from Indonesia, and she gave it to our daughter, Clare.
But our absolute favorite set is the one that goes on our mantlepiece every year. When Kraig’s parents lived in Mali, West Africa, they met a woodcarver who made these sets, and over the course of the years that they lived there, almost every one of our family members commissioned one of these sets. It has so much character, with magnificent camels, a thoughtful Joseph, pensive Mary, and a shepherd who peers out at the room with a grin that seems to say, “Look who we found! Come see the baby! Emmanuel is here!”
And He is here.
If you have a moment to write, tell me if you have a special nativity!
Bandersnatch Books has some nice sales happening this month. Check out Daughter of Arden at Bandersnatchbooks.com, along with a bunch of other great titles and their annual merch sale.
You can find links to more of my writing at A Shaft of Sun Through the Rain and my old blog, Willing, Wanting, Waiting.
That was so fun to see so many different nativity scenes! We have two, and one is a Precious Moments nativity. I grew up admiring but never owning Precious Moments characters, and my husband surprised me with the nativity scene in our early years of marriage and I protect it probably too fiercely. I do have a lot of littles though, so it's up high where they can't even see it 😆
We picked up a second nativity made in Hawaii, and it has a little tiny Mary and Joseph, with Mary dressed in a Hawaiian grass skirt. Baby Jesus is laid in a pineapple instead of a manger, and there is a turtle and a chicken for the animals! It's adorable and makes me smile at it's creativity!
These are all so lovely, and what lovely memories to go with them! I have a few nativity sets, but I only got one of them out this year because we have so many little hands in the family now. One set is a little ceramic set that my nieces and nephews painted for me. They ranged in age from 2 to 10 or 12 when they made it, so each piece is very...unique! LOL I also have a small glass nativity that sits on a round mirror--a gift from my mom. Last year a friend of mine sent me a little wooden set that doubles as a puzzle when you put it away. But the most special one is the set that my mother made when I was a kid. It was the one thing of hers that I told my dad I would like to have after she passed away, and when he visited last spring he brought it to me. What he could find of it, anyway. A few pieces are missing and some aren’t fully painted. I plan to track down the missing pieces and paint them myself. And then I will need to find a place out of reach of small hands to put it!