We have been, little by little, getting ourselves ready for Christmas. We have our little tree up, Christmas shopping has begun, Secret Santa names drawn, holiday clothing pulled out.
But this past weekend, the festivities REALLY started up in earnest, as it is now time to do Christmas events.
The first "official" event of this year is a brand new one, introduced this very year.
It was the "Nativity Market."
As someone who absolutely loves nativities, I was absolutely not passing this one up! It boasted hundreds of nativities, all of them available for purchase. And of course they were all on display for people to enjoy as they decided whether to shell out the money for them.
You have your absolute classics, with all the individual figures...
...as well as those which focused on the tenderness and personal care of the Holy Family.
They had beautiful nativities made from olive wood from Jerusalem...
...and others made from crystal.
They had some that were encased in snow globes or some other display.
This one was layered to fit into one piece or divide into separate ones.
Many evoked Jerusalem as part of their general make-up.
Some were done in just one simple piece, like this relief-sculpture style.
But of course you'll always get the nativities that are separate pieces that you can position yourself.
There's a LOT more Christmas to come! This year I'm going to be as festive as I possibly can.