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momwise
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| Posted: Dec 08 2005 at 8:41am | IP Logged
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Go visit this UDayton site Creches from Around the World.
Here is a blurb from the intro page:
Our trademark is to create a special setting for each of the sets highlighting their special cultural, symbolic and aesthetic values. Michel Forest, a Canadian artist of creative and exquisite taste, is our master decorator. It is our goal to make these nativity sets objects of meditation.
Come back and post here about what you do to make your Nativity an object of meditation (no, not the 2-yr. old's stuffed set  ), or how you decorate it according to it's origins and ethnic backround.
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Gwen...wife for 30 years, mom of 7, grandma of 3.....
"If you want equal justice for all and true freedom and lasting peace, then America, defend life." JPII
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guitarnan
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| Posted: Dec 08 2005 at 9:22am | IP Logged
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Hi!
We lived in Italy twice, and so we got into the whole presepe (creche) thing, big time. Here's something I wrote last year about the presepe tradition. Please don't quote it anywhere, because I no longer own the rights to the original piece.
Presepe
The English translation for “presepe” is “Nativity scene.” This translation does not begin to do justice to the elaborate Italian creations displayed in homes, churches and shops during the Christmas season.
An Italian presepe does, indeed, contain figures representing Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus. You will have to look carefully to find them. The presepe is made using natural materials. It usually looks like a grouping of caves and hills, with spots at various levels to display plastic or clay figurines. These figurines represent traditional occupations and crafts, much as the French santons do. For example, a presepe might contain fishermen, weavers, dancers, and shepherds. Animal figurines play a prominent role. The presepe might also include working fountains, artificial fires that light up and waterwheels that run using real water. Tiny reproductions of fruits, food and farm products also decorate the scene.
An Italian family will add figures or accessories to the presepe each year. Department stores and do-it-yourself shops set out elaborate presepe displays to coax shoppers into spending a few more Euros on a new accessory or figure. Some of the larger presepi cost over 5,000 Euros (nearly $6,500.00) for the background piece, figures and accessories.
One way to see a wide variety of presepi is to visit several Italian churches during the Christmas season. Some churches have used the same presepe figures since the 1500’s. Others create a new presepe each year based on a theme, such as the patron saint of the church or a particular country served by missionary priests and religious. This special tradition links Italian families to other homes and churches throughout the country, and, indeed, to all those around the world who set up a manger scene at Christmas.
At our house, we have a tiny presepe, not a big one, but it's treated with the same love a huge, mega-expensive Italian presepe would be. I gave a presepe set to my dh's grandma several years ago (with explanation) because she loves animals so much. It's a nice gift...
Looking forward to everyone's answers!
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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MaryM
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| Posted: Dec 08 2005 at 10:36am | IP Logged
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That is so interesting, Nancy. Thanks for sharing your Italian experience. That makes sense for why the Fonatanini company, which is the big Italian Nativity maker, has such a huge assortment of peeople, settings, and accessories to add. We have a 5 1/2 inch Fontanini set and have added additional pieces some years. We haven't done it consistently each year as I always think - "oh I don't have the money right now- since there are so many expenses this time of year. I really should make it a priority and get a new peice each year in the off-season. They do sell them year around.
As a side note with the additional pieces - we have added the pieces that correspoond to our children's names since they happen to have figures with those names (all Old Testament names - people think we have Jewish names). It started with our son, David's godparents buying him the "David" figure. Then we got the "Jacob" for him and of course we already had a "Joseph." We are still trying to get the "Leah" angel - it had already been retired when we started adding those and they are hard to come by. We've bid a bit on E-bay but they always go too high. I guess we are going to have to bite the bullet and spend some big bucks to actually get it. We've joked that if we have another baby we need to make sure that they have a Fontanini equivalent.
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Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
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momwise
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| Posted: Dec 10 2005 at 12:20am | IP Logged
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guitarnan wrote:
| An Italian presepe does, indeed, contain figures representing Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus. You will have to look carefully to find them. The presepe is made using natural materials. It usually looks like a grouping of caves and hills, with spots at various levels to display plastic or clay figurines. |
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The presepes sound enchanting. I love this idea of caves and hills with groupings of figures in various spots. The sisters at our former parish decorated the Nativity scene up near the altar in a similar way. They crinkled up brown paper and colored in blue, green and purple over something that gave the crayon texture (like cement). Oddly enough, from anywhere in the church it really looked like a dirt and stone hill with figures travelling upwards. There were blue lights strung all through the display. They also had a convent filled with a collection of creches from around the world and they would put many of them in a decorated setting.
I would really like to do more to enhance my creche. Still waiting for others' ideas......
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Gwen...wife for 30 years, mom of 7, grandma of 3.....
"If you want equal justice for all and true freedom and lasting peace, then America, defend life." JPII
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: Creche Fun
