When my husband and I got married, we started out with this very simple Nativity set.
After a few years, I hoped to get a really nice set, but I was unwilling to spend the money. On the day after Christmas one year, my sweet husband found one during the after-Christmas sale at a local card shop. He added the angels a number of years later. Here it is.
Over the years, I began to look for unique or different Nativity sets and try to buy them during the after Christmas sales. Then people started giving them to me as gifts. Finally, I had to ask people to stop because I didn't have room for them anymore. Here are a few more of the sets that I put out each year.
Do you have any special Christmas decorations that you put out each year? Tell us about them.
Also, I hope you will read the upcoming Christmas story written over several days by some of the Craftie Ladies bloggers.
MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR
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HI Merrille. I love your collection. I have four nativity sets, and some nutcrackers, but I love to collect ornaments. I try and get them from every place I go. Pulling them out to hang on the Christmas tree is a trip down memory lane.
ReplyDeleteI collect nativities as well. The biggest one is the Fontanini set that I have been adding to since I was first married thirty years ago. Each year, my daughter and I pick out a new figure, building or accessory. It is so big, it now takes the buffet and hutch in our dining room to display.
ReplyDeleteMy grandchildren are getting a Fisher Price nativity for Christmas from my daughter so they can have the tradition. There is also a Playmobile nativity for children four years old and up!
Peace, Julie
I have one good size Nativity set. I hated putting it away after Christmas, so I display it all year.
ReplyDeleteJulie,
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see a picture of the Fontanini set.
And, I'll have to look for the Playmobile set for my five year old.
Pamela, you are in luck. It was featured on Cheryl St. John's blog as part of this year's Christmas tree tour.
ReplyDeletehttp://cherylstjohn.blogspot.com/2010/12/great-christmas-tree-tour-julie-hilton.html
Even she only had room to show half of it!
Peace, Julie
What wonderful pictures! Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI'm gload to learn that others also collect nativities. I'm going to look for the nativity for kids. I haven't seen those before. When we were on vacation somewhere (can't remember where) I saw a life-size Fontanini nativity. It was right after I first started collecting them. I still think about that and wonder where I could possibly put it. :)
ReplyDeleteJulie, thanks for sharing the link.
Thanks for sharing your collections. I'm like Pamela, I leave my Nativity out all year. I thought maybe it would help me "capture" the Christmas spirit and remember what it was all about. I also keep out a special "box" that has items to help tell the Easter story.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful Christmas.
Merrillee, I had that exact same nativity set (the first one) when Tony and I were first married. I think I finally tossed it out last year, though it might still be in the garage. (I get sentimental about stuff and can't toss it, even if I can't use it anymore.)
ReplyDeleteLove the collection.
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ReplyDeleteMerrillee, your first one is just like the one I grew up with!! I loved seeing it. :)
ReplyDeleteI always use many of the ornaments my kids made from pre-school on up. They're getting pretty rag-tag! :)
The ornaments I have that I treasure are the ones my kids made in kindergarten. Probably 30 years old, but they are the best.
ReplyDeleteI love the Nativity collection. I have a special one I have had for years that I display every year. Sometimes I even leave it up all year. I don't collect them, but I like to look everywhere I go to see the different ones that our displayed. Thanks so much for sharing yours with us!
ReplyDeleteThat's really cool! I keep forgeting about the after-Christmas sales (although I'm pretty sure that's how we got our nativity costumes for children). I'd love to see some of your other sets!
ReplyDelete