Here’s some nativity sets that may make make you laugh, or throw up your hands in horror, or both. Along with other comments, if you want to share any others you know of, you can add a URL in the comments section.
H/T and far more examples Mark Oestreicher
and Catholic Supply where “The Kneeling Santa figure is a subtle reminder to children
that Santa is not the main focus of Christmas.” (sic.)
Thanks Bosco. Best belly laugh I have had for a long time. Bless you!
I’m pleased you enjoyed these, Andrew. I think maybe Jesus in the snow globe might be my favourite… Blessings.
I’m quite proud to say I own the rubber ducky set. Personally I appreciate a bit of whimsey and humour in my Christmas.
As you know, Pastor Joelle, being a regular here, I have no sense of humour 😉 Blessings
There is something to the kneeling figure of St. Nicholas, beyond the great strangeness of imagining his presence in the Nativity of our Lord. I sometimes try to discuss Christ through people’s secular attachment to celebrating on the days of named saints, such as on “St. Patrick’s day”, “St. George’s day” and the like. Yet, somehow it is very hard for people to grasp the fact that if St. X was indeed a saint, then he is such because he had a true and living faith in Jesus Christ. I try to explain that it doesn’t matter how many dragons someone supposedly killed, none but those with true faith are saints; and we greatly dishonour a saint by recalling them without any reference to Him in whom they trusted, for whom they laboured, and to whom they invariably point. I really cannot imagine a way to insult a saint more than making him into the idol of a secular quasi-religious festival! Thus, in so much as we reference St. Nicholas, we should not forget to point through him to the Christ in whom he trusted. Did he show legendary kindness to a man with three daughters? Who knows… yet, if he did, we know it is only because he knows of the much greater gift that God had given him in Christ, et cetera, ad infinitum….
I would be very surprised, Vincent, if many people would think of Father Christmas as St Nicholas. Written on St Nicholas Eve – a very significant date in many cultures. Blessings.
I’m vaguely reminded of the scene in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe where Father Christmas comes as a sort of “foretaste and promise” of the arrival of Aslan. But I don’t think this is a great way of showing that idea.
I am often astonished at how many people, reading the Narnia and/or seeing the films make no connection with the Christian story! [I love teaching the Matrix, as you might tell from my twitter profile background – hidden now by Twitter’s upgrade]. Just as many don’t realise Father Christmas is St Nicholas, and others don’t realise Aslan is Christ – I suspect, Matt, the connection you find, though you and I see it quickly, is lost on most. Blessings.
I was eight when I first read “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” and realised straight away that Aslan was supposed to be Christ, but at that age I couldn’t work out why. Was it some sort of mockery or what?
Robert, I wonder if some of us are more intuitive about seeing “beneath” things – while others stay so quickly at the surface. Blessings.
The grand children can take legitimate nativity sets and create enough hilarity.
Photos, Gary! We want to see the photos! 🙂 Blessings to you. And to the grand children!
Great stuff – I think the penquins are my favourite (something about the lack of scale that adds to the charm):-)
I have a knitted nativity set made by a niece some years back – you’d be amazed how many times of the years people have genuinely asked me to provide the patterns!
Bosco – how do we upload pics to your site?
Here’s a link to the pattern
http://www.ashidome.com/blogger/files/FREE_nativity_scene.pdf
“how do we upload pics to your site?”
Stephen – good question!
There would be a variety of ways of sharing images here: you could add the image to flickr and then share the URL here; you could post the image on the Liturgy Facebook page, that would give you a URL to share here (eg) ; there’s probably some other ways as well – but that’s a start. Blessings.
There’s a WHOLE PAGE of kneeling Santas Bosco!!!! This one lights up…
Kneeling Santa Yard Art from the Joseph’s Studio Collection
Holographic 48″ tall lawn decor. Exclaim the true reason for the season. 150 lights; Indoor/Outdoor
I like ‘The True Meaning of Christmas’ which has a special sale price of $12.99, note batteries are not included, you have been warned!(At the Catholic Supply link)