Nativity sets or displays

Anyone who is offended by what we did in Great Britain - should stay out of the country!! That's, of course, if they are genuinely offended!!

I have the nativity set which was my parents, which came my way when we had to clear the house after Mum passed away. Plastic/resin figures but nicely done in a traditional style. They should be set in a handmade wooden stable made by Dad, but that unfortunately disintegrated, and is awaiting repair by Mr GO. However, he is fully occupied by current work he is doing on changing pipework etc prior to upgrading our heating boiler, so I think it won't be making an appearance this Xmas but hopefully next year.
Many years ago, a newly married friend who was somewhat strapped for cash, but extremely creative, made a set of tiny little nativity figures for their home, fashioned entirely out of different coloured foil sweetie wrappers!

I don't know if it still pertains bu the Red Cross didn't sell Christmas cards that wished 'A Happy Christmas.' So I don't buy their Christmas cards.

nanasam

My son lives in Australia, not that that's an excuse for displaying this nativity set. They just don't do Christmas like what we does!

Brilliant! 😂
(I still love the traditional ones, though.)

My son lives in Australia, not that that's an excuse for displaying this nativity set. They just don't do Christmas like what we does!

I have one I bought in Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt in 1967. It's beautiful and comes out every year. My children and grandchildren love it. It is still in perfect condition other than one lamb only has 3 legs

I have a ceramic set in a little stable which is very precious to me.
It was part of a Christmas display in my local pet shop. I admired it and said so to the lady owner. She said it had been her son's and he had recently died. She insisted that I took it home with me for my son who was about 3 at the time. I was very moved.
The shop closed down shortly afterwards. I get it out every year and think of that lady & her kindness ( my son is 21 now).

Primrose53, re the time they take, after seeing one of mine on display for the Christmas raffle, a parent at the Gdcs’ primary asked whether she could pay me to make one for her.

I just said I was very sorry but I didn’t make them to sell. I didn’t add that given the sheer amount of time, I’d want to charge about £500! I’ve made one every year since the first, and usually start in around June, doing them in stages, in between other projects.

Oopsadaisy1

We have a Nativity set that we bought in Bethlehem in the 1980s, I’d like to get one for each of the girls, but they are too expensive now.

When I volunteered for the Red Cross we weren’t allowed to have any religious items in the shop.

That is quite ridiculous about not allowing religious items in Red Cross shops.

At the end of the day its a story about displaced people surviving as best they can and women giving birth in difficult situations with local support and help from wise and knowledgeable foreign people
Some things never change.

Dickens Thanks for sharing this! You can feel the warmth & joy- true meaning of 'Christmas' x

We have a Nativity set that we bought in Bethlehem in the 1980s, I’d like to get one for each of the girls, but they are too expensive now.

When I volunteered for the Red Cross we weren’t allowed to have any religious items in the shop.

This is a paper nativity set bought in the 1990s and used every year for the children and grandchildren. They love putting all the pieces together. The picture is a bit blurry I'm afraid and doesn't do it justice. There used to be lots of paper models back then, you never get them now. I also have a bird table with lots of different birds.

I had a beautiful nativity set. When I downsized, I gave it to the Church to use it in their Xmas Raffle. I didn’t follow its trail, because it was too painful. I hope the new owners are displaying it in their home, every Xmas season.

Here's another family of a different faith who clearly were in the Christmas spirit when the photo' was taken last year.

I've been into their shop a few times - they are lovely people.

Every Christmas Day they open up for a couple of hours and invite anyone who's alone or lonely to "pop in for a mince-pie, and a hug"... there's no compulsion to buy anything. They've been doing this for years.

www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=458054463017511&set=a.458054443017513&locale=en_GB

Witzend

I finished this one earlier today. It’s going to Gdd2’s (C of E) pre-school for their Christmas raffle.

Before I made the first for the older Gdcs, I had found plenty on sale - I particularly remember a Lakeland one - but they were all more or less breakable and little Gds was still at the chuck-and-bash stage.
5 years on, that first one is still intact!

I don’t believe that people or other faiths do find such things ‘offensive’ - IMO that idea generally comes from the sort of local council staff who once wanted to re-name Christmas ‘Winterval’.

I lived for 13 years in Muslim countries* where there was never any suggestion of the locals being offended by signs of Christmas - on the contrary, those I regularly came into contact with enjoyed seeing the decorations in e.g. the hotels. And the year before we finally left, the Royal Oman Police very kindly lent a ceremonial camel so that Father Christmas could arrive at the English Speaking School in impressive style.

He told the children he’d left his reindeer at the airport because they didn’t like the sand!

*an exception would be Saudi Arabia, where I gather that you couldn’t even buy a Christmas card. Whether it’s still as strict I don’t know.

Snap! It’s the best pattern of all the nativity sets I think.
Well done 👏👏👏👏 Few people realise what a lot of work goes into these.

I have a very small ceramic set, which I put up every year. Sometimes a GC will help. I was brought up going to church every Sunday, but none of my kids are religious. To me it is a reminder of the very heart of celebrating Christmas.

We don't see them often on display here, maybe because it is so multicultural? Christmas decor is full-on, but Santa, snowflakes and reindeer sort.

Witzend

I finished this one earlier today. It’s going to Gdd2’s (C of E) pre-school for their Christmas raffle.

Before I made the first for the older Gdcs, I had found plenty on sale - I particularly remember a Lakeland one - but they were all more or less breakable and little Gds was still at the chuck-and-bash stage.
5 years on, that first one is still intact!

I don’t believe that people or other faiths do find such things ‘offensive’ - IMO that idea generally comes from the sort of local council staff who once wanted to re-name Christmas ‘Winterval’.

I lived for 13 years in Muslim countries* where there was never any suggestion of the locals being offended by signs of Christmas - on the contrary, those I regularly came into contact with enjoyed seeing the decorations in e.g. the hotels. And the year before we finally left, the Royal Oman Police very kindly lent a ceremonial camel so that Father Christmas could arrive at the English Speaking School in impressive style.

He told the children he’d left his reindeer at the airport because they didn’t like the sand!

*an exception would be Saudi Arabia, where I gather that you couldn’t even buy a Christmas card. Whether it’s still as strict I don’t know.

Gracious, Lovely handwork!

Of course 99% of people aren't offended by the beliefs of others!

I finished this one earlier today. It’s going to Gdd2’s (C of E) pre-school for their Christmas raffle.

Before I made the first for the older Gdcs, I had found plenty on sale - I particularly remember a Lakeland one - but they were all more or less breakable and little Gds was still at the chuck-and-bash stage.
5 years on, that first one is still intact!

I don’t believe that people or other faiths do find such things ‘offensive’ - IMO that idea generally comes from the sort of local council staff who once wanted to re-name Christmas ‘Winterval’.

I lived for 13 years in Muslim countries* where there was never any suggestion of the locals being offended by signs of Christmas - on the contrary, those I regularly came into contact with enjoyed seeing the decorations in e.g. the hotels. And the year before we finally left, the Royal Oman Police very kindly lent a ceremonial camel so that Father Christmas could arrive at the English Speaking School in impressive style.

He told the children he’d left his reindeer at the airport because they didn’t like the sand!

*an exception would be Saudi Arabia, where I gather that you couldn’t even buy a Christmas card. Whether it’s still as strict I don’t know.

I spent part of my childhood in Singapore and Malaya (as it then was) and in those religiously and ethnically diverse countries everyone celebrated every religion's holidays whether it was Christmas, Diwali, Chinese New Year or Hari Raya Puasa, the local name for the end of Ramadan.

Would the peeople who decide not to display a crib or say anything about the religious meanng of Christmas, on behalf of Muslims, which they invariable aren't also refuse to do anything to recognise the end of Ramadan becaause it might offend Christians . And if not, why not?

Yes I thought it was probably a Jehovah's Witness. I know they call themselves Christians but they are extremely selective about which scriptures they choose to believe.

What a lovely thing to do for your nieces Primerose43, a beautiful way for them to remember your Mum x
I still make a scene/setting for my nativity set each December finishing off with some sparkle from those little battery fairy lights. Always a special moment when I open their box and carefully lift them all out each year, peaceful. Quite unlike delving into all the other decorations and bits & bobs.

eazybee

All Christians celebrate Christmas because it is a celebration of Christ's birth and it is clearly recorded in the scriptures, in the New Testament.

Not all Christians celebrate Christmas.
Quote:
Witnesses do not celebrate Christmas or Easter because they believe that these festivals are based on (or massively contaminated by) pagan customs and religions. They point out that Jesus did not ask his followers to mark his birthday.

Lovely!

My late Mum knitted a gorgeous nativity set from a Jean Greenhowe pattern. It took her months. Every year I made her a fresh cardboard stable, covered in Ivy etc and it would go on display in her church.

When she died I gave it to one niece who is mad about Christmas and she loves it. Mum also had a small ceramic set which I gave to another niece.

In the summer I spotted the identical knitted set to Mum’s at a car boot sale and bought it for £12. I will display it this year and think of Mum.