Nativity sets or displays

We had a quite large Naativity at school, which was always set up in the corridor to the hall on top of a low cupboard. Endlessly amusing for the staff as the children moved the figures around a lot. Donkey in the cradle. etc. One we had a pile of shepherds and wise men lying on a disgruntled Mary. Often a figure went missing but was replaced after a stern request in assembly. I wonder where they all are now?

mumofmadboys

We have no idea what date Jesus was born. 'Christmas ' was a pagan festival in mid winter and we have tacked the celebration of Jesus' birth onto this festival. The Gospels were written some thirty years or so after Jesus' birth. The Christmas story is a sanitised version of what happened. What is important is that God came to earth in human form to show his love for the world ie us!

In May according to another legend!

We have no idea what date Jesus was born. 'Christmas ' was a pagan festival in mid winter and we have tacked the celebration of Jesus' birth onto this festival. The Gospels were written some thirty years or so after Jesus' birth. The Christmas story is a sanitised version of what happened. What is important is that God came to earth in human form to show his love for the world ie us!

I have a rather twee one bought in Lakeland many years ago( 30?)It comes out every year with the wise man following a silver pebble path in the daytime as they can only see the star through the window at night.

We have a large Nativity scene in the city centre every year.

Witzend

As for whoever chucked the hospital nativity figures in the bin, 😱!

Well quite.

Even as an atheist, there is no way I would have done that.

The nativity is emblematic, there is a moral behind the story.

I loved that story, Grannynannywanny!
As for whoever chucked the hospital nativity figures in the bin, 😱!

Thank you Witzend. They’re very special little figures in our family. My 17 year old granddaughter is coming later to spend the night and she’s still fond of rearranging the figures. She’ll have a giggle when she sees her little cousins have added Rudolf and an oversized sheep from their farm set to the scene. When she was a toddler she used to add the tombliboos from the Night Garden to it 😆

I don’t think you need to be religious to enjoy Nativity scenes - the Christmas story is deeply embedded in U.K. culture.

I absolutely love nativity scenes. I have a gorgeous one that lights up and I adore it.

However, I'm not remotely religious so unsure if I'm supposed to be hugely excited by nativity scenes.

Grannynannywanny

I love my very old Nativity scenes. I think I previously posted about them on a Christmas thread a couple of years ago but at the risk of boring you I’ll do it again 😊

The paper one came from Woolworths in the 1950s. Our small Christmas tree sat on the sideboard with it at the base and the bottom light from the string of tree lights hung over it. I can remember as a 4 year old standing on my tip toes gazing into it every day.

The Nativity figures were rescued from a hospital rubbish bin in the 1960s. My lovely Mum was a nurse in the children’s ward . Every Christmas the ward would be decorated by the 2 ward sisters who had very different tastes. The younger one disliked the traditional crib scene and the first Christmas after the older ward sister retired my Mum found the crib figures dumped in the bin. She rescued them from the bin, gave them a wash and took them home and they’ve been on display every year since then.

My grandchildren love them and enjoy rearranging them and enacting little scenes with them just as their parents did at the same age. I noticed after the youngest GC were here yesterday they’d added Bambi and Rudolf to the nativity scene 😆

I loved that story, Grannynannywanny!
As for whoever chucked the hospital nativity figures in the bin, 😱!

I was pleased to hear just the other day that my latest Nativity set - donated to Gdd2’ pre-school 🎄raffle - went to a granny with a Gdc at the school, who was apparently ‘over the moon’ to win it. 🙂

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202312/medium-249508-8630dc69-a689-49ce-b35e-5ba05fa78b93.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202312/medium-616142-img-6304.jpeg

I love my very old Nativity scenes. I think I previously posted about them on a Christmas thread a couple of years ago but at the risk of boring you I’ll do it again 😊

The paper one came from Woolworths in the 1950s. Our small Christmas tree sat on the sideboard with it at the base and the bottom light from the string of tree lights hung over it. I can remember as a 4 year old standing on my tip toes gazing into it every day.

The Nativity figures were rescued from a hospital rubbish bin in the 1960s. My lovely Mum was a nurse in the children’s ward . Every Christmas the ward would be decorated by the 2 ward sisters who had very different tastes. The younger one disliked the traditional crib scene and the first Christmas after the older ward sister retired my Mum found the crib figures dumped in the bin. She rescued them from the bin, gave them a wash and took them home and they’ve been on display every year since then.

My grandchildren love them and enjoy rearranging them and enacting little scenes with them just as their parents did at the same age. I noticed after the youngest GC were here yesterday they’d added Bambi and Rudolf to the nativity scene 😆

I put my 3 nativities up in different places in the house yesterday. Love them.

I bought a Nativity set with a wooden stable over 20 years ago. It was made in China and the figures weren't very good so I kept the stable and bought a set of Italian figures from eBay. Since then I've been able to add some extra matching figures, an ox and an ass, and a couple of pipers that give it a real Italian look. There is a street in Naples which is full of shops selling "presepi" or Nativities. Some of their figures are stunning but very expensive. I bought a little model of Joseph leading Mary and the baby on a donkey on their way to Egypt. They are wearing the same colours as the ones in my nativity so it really looks as if they have just left.

Primrose53

Witzend

Oh, the pitiful cries of, ‘Please, please sew us up! We’ve been waiting so long, here in the lonely dark, all unloved!’ 😰
(Excuse me while I go and find a tissue…)

Oh no! Poor half made creatures! 🤣🤣

I might rescue Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus from under the stairs as they're ready and raring to go!

At work around 15years ago, someone had the bright idea we would knit a nativity set for display. I knitted a wonky donkey and hairy Mary!! It came out every year for about10 years, have no idea if it is still being displayed.

Witzend

Oh, the pitiful cries of, ‘Please, please sew us up! We’ve been waiting so long, here in the lonely dark, all unloved!’ 😰
(Excuse me while I go and find a tissue…)

Oh no! Poor half made creatures! 🤣🤣

I have just asked MrR where our china Nativity Set came from ..... thinking it might be Bruge, Paris or somewhere as interesting. I really can't remember. Well apparently it came from Allders in Croydon but I still love it and it comes out every year and sits below the tv. BTW I am not saying that Croydon isn't interesting!
(But we do have a model of Father Christmas that we bought in Bruge a few years ago.)

I have a nativity set bought when my children were small. So that would be around 1966. It comes out every year. The shepherd boy needs to be stuck in his place and he came adrift a few years ago. They are all housed in a nice wooden stable. They are all in the loft and awaiting to be brought down otherwise I would take a photo. Also have a group of other nativity figures which are arranged in the fireplace with a star suspended above them. We always buy some nativity type cards to send alongside the usual Father Christmas etc. Used to tell the children that we give each other presents just as the shepherds and kings gave them to baby Jesus.

😁😁😁

I'm knitting for charity at the moment ...
Well, not this exact moment of course!

Oh, the pitiful cries of, ‘Please, please sew us up! We’ve been waiting so long, here in the lonely dark, all unloved!’ 😰
(Excuse me while I go and find a tissue…)

Witzend

Primrose53

Callistiemon21 Why?

Best not to ask!! 😉

I can hear their little voices calling to me from the cupboard under the stairs 😁

Primrose53

Callistiemon21 Why?

Best not to ask!! 😉

Callistiemon21 Why?

Chestnut

The knitted sets are absolutely gorgeous and I would love to have the patience but not sure I could manage it. I haven't knitted since the 1970s when I made a green jumper! I would be very slow both in understanding the pattern and in dexterity too. If I could teach my granddaughter to knit then maybe she would get onto it?

I'm impressed that they seem to have most things, although I would like a donkey, cow/oxen, angel and star. I notice the donkey is separate but available, so if only there was an angel and a star. The cow/oxen I suppose is the least important.

The mention of knitted Nativity sets is taboo in this house