The Magi in Nativity Sets

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
Who has a Nativity set? Our pastor was telling today that anyone that puts the Wise Men in the Nativity scene is mistaken, according to the Bible. They are only mentioned in Matthew, Chapter 2 and in verse 11, it says they came to the house where he was - not a stable. Also that Herod decided to kill babies up to 2 years old, so Jesus could have been up to 2 years old by the time the Magi arrived in Bethlehem. Of course, people love tradition over being accurate. In some countries Epiphany (Jan. 6th) is the traditional arrival date of the Magi.
 

If Historic accuracy is required, you might as well leave the whole Bible in the box... ;):playful:

Anyway in all seriousness I love the nativity, ..in our nearest Large town in Spain every year there's a huge Nativity scene set out in the Church square..it's all hand made, and people come and look at it from all over Southern Spain...I haven't got time to look for photos of it now..but on my next day off work, when I have more time I'll find them and post them...
 

debodun said:
Who has a Nativity set? Our pastor was telling today that anyone that puts the Wise Men in the Nativity scene is mistaken, according to the Bible. They are only mentioned in Matthew, Chapter 2 and in verse 11, it says they came to the house where he was - not a stable. Also that Herod decided to kill babies up to 2 years old, so Jesus could have been up to 2 years old by the time the Magi arrived in Bethlehem. Of course, people love tradition over being accurate. In some countries Epiphany (Jan. 6th) is the traditional arrival date of the Magi.
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People get confused between the actual dates of biblical events, which are by and large impossible to pin down, and the days of the church calendar when these events are celebrated. over the centuries these dates have changed. At one time Christmas (i.e. the birth of Jesus) was celebrated on January 6th which is now the time we call Epiphany. Other dates have also been used by eastern rites.

Easter and Pentecost are celebrations tied to the Jewish Passover so they more fixed in history.
 
I think people like the 3 wise men bringing their gifts...fits in with Christmas and giving. It's like artistic license or something maybe..but I think the main focus is always Madonna and Child.

I remember my mother used to paint ceramics. She went nuts one year and painted so much stuff for that scene you could hardly get in the room. I still laugh when I think about it. She had animals there I knew didn't belong...but she had this wood stable and palm leaves...like her little Broadway production...the star hanging on fishing line.

I've. Never seen one I liked better.

:)
 
At my last house, I had several Puerto Rican neighbors. I really enjoyed the visit of the Three Kings on Jan 6th. The Three Kings would come down the street in full regalia along with a strolling band and call at each house. Then they'd have a party at one house. Puerto Ricans throw some really good parties....from what I can remember - ha.
 
My favourite nativity story was told to me by a devout Catholic friend.
So devout that she was the mother of eight children, some of whom were grown up.

Each year she would set up a nativity scene on her front porch and one day she came home to find that the crib was empty except for a note that read:
Pay up one million dollars or the kid will be dead by Easter
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She knew exactly which son to blame. :grin:
 
The promised photos of our Church Square nativity scenes in Southern Spain...all hand made by local craftsmen and children....

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Tnere's loads more if I can find them...but this is a HUGE Nativity scene which stretches all out in front of the Church square and people come and view it for free
 
Glad you're enjoying them peeps...they really are so well crafted. To give you a perspective of the size, you can see the church spire in the background and some low rise, 4 floor apartments to the right..

View at night...

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I have a little ceramic Nativity set that I bought almost 45 years ago in Turkey. My daughter and then my granddaughter loved to play with it, so a couple of the heads have been glued back on more than once.

The Christmas that my granddaughter was 3 1/2, she called me into her bedroom to see her "'tivity set". She had taken a cardboard box and had two of her larger stuffed animals dressed up as Mary and Joseph. Jesus was a Pooh Bear wrapped in toilet paper and laid in a Kleenex box. Arranged around the scene was about 50 Beanie Babies.

I was admiring the 'tivity scene in proper doting Grandma mode when she jumped up, said "WHAT IS THAT DOING THERE???" and plucked a stuffed lobster out of the adoring crowd. "THERE WERE NO WOBSTERS AT THE 'TIVITY!!!" she claimed. Since there were pink elephants and blue fish and giraffes and panda bears and such in the crowd, I asked why there couldn't be a lobster at the 'tivity?

"Gramma," she explained patiently, "they CAN'T be there! You just have to know when to say STOP!" I guess a lobster at the 'tivity is just too-too much....
 
I have an aunt that collects snowman figurines. One year my cousin thought it would be a great gift to get her a Nativity set where all the figures are snowman. Well, she HATED it; said it was sacrilegious. I like cats and I think the feline Nativity set is cute.
 

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