Crafting Holiday Memories: Nativity Set Planning and Preparation

Life-size wooden Nativity scene

The holiday season is a time of joy, reflection, and cherished traditions. For many Christian families, one of the most beloved customs is displaying a Nativity scene. This timeless tradition not only adorns homes with a touch of festive charm but also serves as a poignant reminder of the true spirit of Christmas. Whether you’re a seasoned holiday enthusiast or a new homeowner looking to start a family tradition of your own, crafting the perfect Nativity set display can enhance your holiday experience and bring your family closer together.

In this guide, we’ll explore the history and significance of Christmas Manger scenes, and share tips on Nativity planning and preparation with the aim of making sure it goes off without a hitch. We’ll also provide practical advice on setting up, preserving, and storing your Nativity set to ensure it remains a treasured part of your family’s holiday celebrations for years to come.

Continue reading “Crafting Holiday Memories: Nativity Set Planning and Preparation”

Music of the Nativity

Medieval sheet music

Holy family Nativity setThis year, as you put the finishing touches on your home’s outdoor Nativity set display, take a mental survey: name five of your favorite Christmas songs. Chances are, the short list would include at least a few of these seasonal favorites:

  • “Jingle Bells”
  • “White Christmas”
  • “Winter Wonderland”
  • “The Christmas Song”
  • “Baby It’s Cold Outside”
  • “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
  • “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer”
  • “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”

John Lennon’s “Happy Christmas (War Is Over)” (1971) might also make the list, vying with Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” (1979). On that list there might even be The Pogues’ “Fairytale of New York,” which in various polls has been cited as the favorite Christmas song of all time in the U.K. and Ireland!

The funny thing is this—none of these aforementioned songs has much to do with Christmas per se. Yes, these non-liturgical songs may mention Santa Claus, winter weather, romance, and longing for one’s family during the holiday season, and they may all be enjoyable and appropriate for the season; but they barely allude, if at all, to the core narrative underlying all Christmas celebrations, namely, the birth of Jesus of Nazareth in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago. In other words, the first Nativity.
Continue reading “Music of the Nativity”

Historical Origins of Outdoor Nativity Scenes

Outdoor Nativity scene

 

“All cultures…have grown out of myths. They are founded on myths. What these myths have given has been inspiration for aspiration.”
— Joseph Campbell, Mythology and the Individual (1997)


From church iconography to Easter baskets, from Yule logs to small indoor crèches and huge outdoor Nativity sets, the backstories behind the outward manifestations of Christian belief, in all their rich variety, remain a source of endless historical interest, and not a little speculation. Continue reading “Historical Origins of Outdoor Nativity Scenes”