#LGChristmasChallenge2020 - Happy Holidays with a small present: Nativity scenes in Italy

[ErmesT]

Holidays are coming, and in many countries of the world in a few days they will celebrate Christmas.

Holiday season is celebrated with a lot of lights and Christmas trees, isn’t it @KarenVChin ?

But in Many places of the world, the most important element of the celebration is the Presepe (in Italian) or Nativity scene.

What is the name in your country?

The origin of the Nativity scene is traced back to 1223 (almost 500 years ago) when, according to tradition, St. Francis of Assisi built the first crib in Greccio, a small village in Central Italy.

The Nativity scene is the representation of the birth of Jesus which, according to Christian narrative and tradition, took place in Bethlehem in the year zero of the Gregorian calendar (see Note 1 at the end of the post)

By definition, the birth of Christ therefore took place on December 25 of the year zero. Christians celebrate the event on Christmas Day. In large parts of the world this overlaps with the Holiday season, which generally includes the period from late November to early January.

The world celebrates this time of year with Christmas trees, lighting arrangements, gifts. For Christians, however, the most important symbol of the celebration remains the Nativity scene.

Nativity scenes are set up everywhere, in large and small towns, in squares as well as in homes. Nativity scenes that can be extremely large and elaborate, but also very small, so much so that they can be held in the palm of your hand.

The common element, what defines the nativity scene, are the five protagonists and the place.

The manger (often inside a cave) where the child was laid, the ox and the donkey, and of course the parents, Joseph and Mary

A Nativity scene can therefore be “essential”, like the one you see below, photographed on January 5, 2020 in the “al legno” restaurant

But obviously in many places you can find very elaborate Nativity scenes, with all the characters of the daily life of a rural village, or Nativity scenes set in places other than the traditional ones.

I would like to show you some very “special” ones, made in the Venice Lagoon.

Built on a small wooden boat, this nativity scene “floats” in the water of the lagoon in front of the Church of Lio Piccolo.

The next seems almost to be suspended in the air above the water of the lagoon.

The most common represent scenes from everyday life, like the next one. In this case they are usually very large and elaborate, with a lot of figurines.

Some are “animated”, like the one in the video you see below. There are artisans who, for passion, work all year to create masterpieces like the one you see below, made in the town of Zero Branco.

https://youtu.be/oYjma0hcKMs

The market for nativity figures is a very active market in Italy, starting from the end of November. The figurines can be found in many shops, but my favorite place to look for them, even if only to admire them, are the Christmas or the antiques street markets. You can find very cheap figurines but also very elaborate and expensive products.

In some Italian cities, such as Naples, there is a real “culture” of the Nativity figurines, which are built to represent the most famous characters of the past year, so that they can be inserted into the nativity scene. You could find the president of the United States, or a famous sportsman, along with actors and singers. Isn’t that right, @LuigiZ ?

Does the tradition of the nativity scene exist in your country? If so, would you like to tell us about it and share some images in this post?

Note 1: The Gregorian calendar is the one in use in most of the world and defines, as year zero, that of the birth of Christ. The “year one” started seven days after the birth of Christ.

Happy Holidays Local Guides

Note 2: this post is participating to the #LGChristmasChallenge2020 started by @Velvel

#LGChristmasChallenge2020

[system]

اولا كل عام والجميع بخير واعياد مجيدة وافراح دائمة وسلامة من امراض الاوبئة وخاصة الكورونا …

نتمنى لكم سنه جديدة خالية من الكورونا …لكل

اصدقائي في المنتدى وفي رحاب جوجل

[LuigiZ]

Hi @ErmesT ,

yes it is fully right!

I’m in love with this post because I love the Presepe, or Presepio (in Neapolitan). Those creations are fantastic and I always enjoy to see all differences in styles and artifacts. I also love it because it is a very strong tradition in the south of Italy and there are pure artists creating every ordinary type of thing, figure, which can be represented in the scene.

This year is very special due to the Covid pandemic and limitations but normally along December you cannot literally walk in San Gregorio Armeno in Naples, the famous street where all specific Presepe shops are located, where every single shop is realizing by hands everything! See below a picture of one of those shops, you said the President of the United States? Well I’m sure you can figure out some of those figures .

Due to that almost everyone in Naples is also making his own presepe, of course according time and ability. I personally like to build it because have learned from my father how to realize small details and use wood, cartoon and glue to create all kind of possible shapes. This year I’ve made a very big one, 2.4mt long, all hand made by me … of course not at the level of the street artist but I’m quite proud of it. See below the final picture and a collage of several building steps.

And to fully enjoy it here a video where you mostly can see everything, it is too big to be fully captured in one single photo .

[ErmesT]

OMG, this is … Amazing !!!

Nice that you did everything by yourself, @LuigiZ , I am sure your family helped you .

The video is so beautiful, this presepio (it is acceptable in Italian too) is huge. How long did you worked to build everything?

Nice, to do this activity at home during the lockdown.

Mine is a micro presepio, because my cats will destroy it if I make it bigger, or at least they will try to sleep inside, instead of the sheep’s.

I will share a photo when I will be at home

[KarenVChin]

How did you know my family and I drove around to see Christmas ? lights in my town @ermest last night??

I wish I could capture how bright these lights were in person. Think Las Vegas with every inch covered in colorful Christmas lights, including driveway (you don’t see) and all the tall hedges surrounding the property. The lights were synchronized to Christmas music from a local radio station.

Fortunately, many of the lights are LED for energy efficiency. Homeowners are responsible to pay for their electricity bills!

Here is my Christmas tree for this year. Hubby added multicolor LED lights. Got it down to 800 lights.

Last year, we converted to LED lights. There were a 1000 lights. The tree glowed!

In my town, there are homes that have lit Nativity scenes in front of their homes. Some are standard, store bought. While others can be quite elaborate (life size) and made by hand. I need to take photos for you and @LuigiZ

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you, @AntonellaGr, and your cats!

Cheers,

Karen

[KarenVChin]

I second that @ErmesT — OMG @LuigiZ ! All made by your hands with cardboard, holiday lights, paint, glue, wood, etc. Do you make a new Presepio every year? Or do you store it and bring it out every year? Add to it? What you created this year is too beautiful to throw out in the trash.

What amazes me is you got a water pump to circulate the water and the mini fire Funny that it is okay to add celebrities /politicians to your Nativity scene. I would never have thought that is okay to do that! Seems sacrilegious to do this!

I am tagging @Giuseppe75 @Giu_DiB @davidhyno @FlavioDA to get their input on Presepe. Do you build your own like Luigi? Or buy one Ermes?

Luigi, Buon Natalie to you and your family!

Cheers,

Karen

[FlavioDA]

My compliments @LuigiZ , very nice! and it was certainly a big job.

[LuigiZ]

Thank you very much @ErmesT , actually if you count the overall time it is not too much but it was spread across the month. I’ve started the structure in wood into the first 2 weekends of December, longest time to cut and paste all wood, especially small pieces such as stairs, fences and similar. Then bit by bit in the evening, couple of hours each to put boxes together for the soft and decorated part and last weekend for the last parts once the structure was complete, lights, green and decoration. Help? You can imagine Aurora and Federica trying to emulate with their own small presepi … mess everywhere . Btw funny to read about the cats reaction, especially if they will start sleeping inside .

[LuigiZ]

Thanks a lot @KarenVChin , wow the lights are so nice!!!

Normally yes but I have to admin that this year is the first one at that size (2.4mt long) all thanks to the new house, in our old apartment the max size was 60cm because I had no space to dedicate to it. And yes every year I made it new (at the end is just pieces of wood and boxes, so not really things to throw than just the time to make it), however since this is quite big Flora wants to keep it for next year, perhaps with small modifications … let’s see after Christmas .

The river is quite complex because it goes all behind the first piece to collect water for the pump and then up for the small fall, however that took me lot of time to build it sealed for the water, it took aprox 4 days just to dry up completely into the connections (double sealed up and down boarders). Fire well it is just an effect but indeed very nice to see .

For the politician, actors, singers and so on it is simply a pure artistic tradition, it is indeed very rare to find them inside a real presepio, especially when home since they have no relation to what it represent .

Buon Natale to you and your family as well .

[AntonellaGr]

@KarenVChin

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and your family dear Karen

Antonella & the cats

(it sounds like a band )

[AntonellaGr]

A picture taken last year in one of my favourite areas in the lagoon. Guess where @ErmesT

Antonella

[Velvel]

Thank you so much for participating in #LGChristmasChallenge2020 and sharing a very beautiful story along with the photos and video about the Nativity scenes in Italy @ErmesT

I really enjoyed to see all of them.

In Indonesia, I think we cannot find it almost everywhere just like in Italy, but every December, we could find them in some churches. It’s a very familiar view and story for me since I was a little kid.

I’ve just found in the news that Saint Theresia Catholic Church in Jakarta, Indonesia decorated the Nativity scene in a unique way inspired by the pandemic condition. As you can see from the picture here and here , the sheeps are wearing a face mask.

I believe that @iyudhi is very familiar with this church

@LuigiZ You are an awesome artist! Well done for the Presepe

@KarenVChin Glad to hear that you and your family could drive around to see the beautiful Christmas lights in your town. This is another way that you could do to relax for a while

And I love your Christmas tree, too! So beautiful!

[FlavioDA]

Hi @KarenVChin

in reality from some years I don’t make a presepe like @LuigiZ (although I never made a so big presepe).
But, at least, a little one presepe always there is.
This is the one of latest years:

[ErmesT]

I didn’t knew you were out to take photos of the Christmas lights, @KarenVChin , but I lived in your country for more than a year, and I remember very well how the houses were lighted during Christmas. Also, led lights were not available on 1995, so I can’t even imagine the amount of energy used to light everything. This would not have been possible in my country, where domestic users are limited to 3 Kw. For this reason I have always looked with admiration and envy at the gardens of the houses in Macon (GA) illuminated by thousands of colored lamps.

I love your Christmas tree. We don’t set up one in our house, because our cats would destroy it in five minutes. Isn’t that right, @AntonellaGr ?
Yet in my mom’s house there are hundreds of colored Christmas balls, some very old (from the 60s), even if every year she bought new ones, and her living room, filled with Christmas figurines, lights and colored threads , looked a lot like the houses in your photos.

[CAAG1959]

@ErmesT espero estés bien y cuidándote. En mi País Uruguay, poco a poco se ha dejado la tradición de Belén (o Pesebre como se llama aquí) y los pocos que se ven, nada tienen que ver con lo que conocemos. Totalmente comercializada y mercantilista. Y como pierde el sentido del significado no aporto ninguna fotografía. De corazón deseo que puedas pasar estar tradicionales fiestas lo mejor posible y en compañía de tus seres queridos. Felicidades. Un abrazo virtual desde el Paisito. CUÍDATE. Saludos.

[LuigiZ]

Thank you very much @Velvel .

Thank you @FlavioDA , nativity is also nice .

[Alexandra77]

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year to you all.

May next year be better and full of blessings

[ErmesT]

Yup, @LuigiZ

The cats are the reason why we do not have a Christmas tree, and we reduced the Presepe to the minimal one. @AntonellaGr have a small collection of them, all built in a single piece, like this one from Peru.

@marcorp , do you prepare a Nativity scene for Christmas?

What about my friends from Argentina, @FaridTDF , @Jesi , @Cecilita , @kroza , @CaroGuiniazu ?

[Jesi]

I actually don’t celebrate Christmas @ErmesT but I found your post very interesting, as well as the scenes. They are nice works of art. I find the really cool that some cities there put famous characters on their scenes! Thank you for sharing it, and tagging me in that great way you tag

Also thank you @LuigiZ for the photo and even collage of photos of the construction of a whole scene. So much effort is put into it!

[ErmesT]

I don’t celebrate Christmas too, @Jesi , not on the “religious” way.

But I find interesting the celebration of an event that have impacted the world in several different ways, starting from how we count the years.

Art, culture and religion (all religions) have been, and still be, correlated in a lot of ways, so it is interesting to observe.

On an old post I mentioned how the “etiquette” have been defined centuries ago by an Italian Monk, just to give you an example. I believe that most of the people doesn’t really know the history of the Nativity, as you can see on the figurines posted by @LuigiZ representing famous politics, actors and singers