This Christmas season the University of Dayton is hosting a
display of 3,000 Nativity scenes from 50 countries ranging from Argentina to
Zimbabwe. The créche Nativities have collected by the Marian Library and the
International Marian Research Institute at UD with the help of many donors and
volunteer making it one of the largest in the nation. The title of the crèche display
is “At the Manger: World Nativity Traditions” and is free to the public. It is
now one of Dayton’s main Christmas events.
The exhibition offers five
incredible Nativity scenes with different themes. The firs is “A Provencal
Welcome” that displays a church, homes, a workshop, and a lavender field with
visitors welcoming the Holy Family, highlighting Nativities that are found in
the south of France. The next scene is “Railway into the Past” that has a model
train that makes stops to tell the story of Christ’s birth. Another scene, “Between
Rain and Corn” highlights a Pueblo setting from New Mexico that portrays Native
American oral traditions. “From Hammock to Jar” shows traditions of Nativities
from many different cultures including the Brazilian Amazon and Spain. “From
Heaven to Earth and Back” demonstrates the Nativity, Mary, and the Rosary.
Museum quality créches were
collected by the library starting in the 1990s. The displays to do not stop
with “At the Manger,” the Marian Library highlights Nativity scenes all year
round at the museum located in the Library, the Créche Museum. Christmas is the
time the library highlights most of the collection by placing Nativity créches
in over 100 offices on UD’s campus. The library also loans Nativity sets to
Churches, other religious sites, and institutions in Ohio and other states.
They do this to spread and share the Christmas spirit throughout the United
States.
Source: Vonada, Damaine. "Celebrating Christmas 'At the Manger.'" Country Living, December, 2015, 27-29.
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