nativity scene

Chickadee Thursday

Yes, we’re still celebrating Christmas!

Every year, I wonder if this is the last year the Fisher-Price Little People nativity scene will be played with…that will be a very sad year, indeed! Fortunately, Chickadee still loves it…she started beginning me to get it out at the beginning of November! She’s been edging the three kings closer and closer every day, and she’s also still playing with the sheep and shepherds and all of the other animals, and making sure the Holy Family are comfortable in the stable.

I know that one of these Christmases, she’ll no longer be interested in it, and that will be the end of a long run of Little People in our house. Until then, though, I’m going to enjoy watching and listening to Chickadee tell the Christmas story!

The Schoolroom Nativity

I love our schoolroom nativity scene! There are several different ways to display it, including options that allow the wise men to remain hidden until Epiphany. I suppose I could even turn the manger around, so that Baby Jesus doesn’t make an appearance until Christmas Eve. The Bible verses on the backs of the pieces are a nice touch, as well…if you did want to hide different members of the gathering, there’s still something of the Christmas story to look at!

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A Vast Improvement

I probably shouldn’t have spent the money, but after stewing over my nativity scene situation, I decided to just do something about it.

Isn’t it pretty?

This nativity is just what I was looking for…it feels more reverent, it’s made of resin, so it’s fairly sturdy, (important in a house full of children!), and it even has a fairly unique look, thanks to the color palette and the beautiful detail. The best part? It was 30% off at the CPH bookstore. I’m guessing I could have gotten it for even cheaper after Christmas, but I really wanted to jump on it now so that it would be out for Christmas Eve. Like my other set, it strangely has no shepherds, which I really don’t get, but I can deal with it.

I’m so relieved that our house has a nativity scene for Christmas!

A Christmas Confession

I have a confession to make.

I didn’t put out my nativity scene this year.

I know that this sounds contrary to everything I’ve ever said about Christmas, but I have a good reason. At least it’s a good reason for me.

For our first Christmas as a married couple, I ordered a very “cute” nativity scene. I fell in love with it when I saw it, it wasn’t terribly expensive, and it seemed like the perfect purchase for our first Christmas together. Something to remember that year by, and something that we could use every year thereafter.

That nativity scene is a little untraditional, though. The figures are all snow people, from the wise men to Mary to the baby Jesus. (The animals, for some reason, are actual animals, though, not snow animals.)

As the years have gone by, and for some reason, especially as the children have gotten older, I’ve grown a little uncomfortable with the set. With each passing year, it’s seemed a little more irreverent, a little more disrespectful. I’m not saying I have anything against cutesy nativity scenes; I certainly wouldn’t think twice about it if I saw one in someone else’s home. But in our home, it’s grown to bother me to the point that I just dread putting it out every year, and it certainly doesn’t get put in a high traffic area. So this year, I thought I’d save myself the mental frustration and just not bother at all.

I’m thinking about buying a new nativity scene this week. I saw one over the weekend that I’m pretty sure was on sale, and I may just go back and get it. If not, I’ll be saving my money all year to buy at least the foundation for a nice Fontanini set next Christmas. But I just can’t bear to look at a snowman depicting baby Jesus anymore, as much as it bothers me not to have a nativity scene  set up at all this year.

At least the children have their Little People and Playmobil sets. We’re not completely devoid of the true reason for the season in our holiday decorations!