I love nativities. (Carson calls them "activities"...) I have several which we regularly display at Christmas time. (I was especially stoked to find the most beautiful stocking holders this year. Each one features two or three characters of the nativity.) Anyway, today we received our first Christmas package in the mail, and one of the presents said, "Open Right Away!" We waited until Dustin came home, but the kids and I were excited to find a very special nativity from Grandma Jensen.
We used to have one of these when I was young. The heat from the candles makes the blades on top spin, and the nativity slowly spins around.
I especially love the two different scenes displayed. One is the traditional manger scene with Mary, Jesus and Joseph. The inscription below them reads, "For unto us a child is born" - Isaiah 9:6. On the opposite side there is a scene with a man praying under a tree and a star, with the inscription, "This night shall the sign be given." - 3 Nephi 1:14. It is a story in the
Book of Mormon, when a prophet named Nephi, seeing that his righteous followers will be destroyed, prays that they will be saved. They believed in an earlier revelation that the Son of God would be born, and that his birth would be marked by an entire night where there would be no darkness, and a new star would appear. Upon his prayer the Lord speaks to him, reassuring him that the foretold sign would be given that very night. I love the intertwined stories of two continents shared by one piece of art. Thanks, Mom (and Dad)!
We used to have one of these when I was young. The heat from the candles makes the blades on top spin, and the nativity slowly spins around.
I especially love the two different scenes displayed. One is the traditional manger scene with Mary, Jesus and Joseph. The inscription below them reads, "For unto us a child is born" - Isaiah 9:6. On the opposite side there is a scene with a man praying under a tree and a star, with the inscription, "This night shall the sign be given." - 3 Nephi 1:14. It is a story in the Book of Mormon, when a prophet named Nephi, seeing that his righteous followers will be destroyed, prays that they will be saved. They believed in an earlier revelation that the Son of God would be born, and that his birth would be marked by an entire night where there would be no darkness, and a new star would appear. Upon his prayer the Lord speaks to him, reassuring him that the foretold sign would be given that very night. I love the intertwined stories of two continents shared by one piece of art. Thanks, Mom (and Dad)!
5 comments:
So cool! We had one from Germany when I was a kid, too. I've seen that one in the Deseret Book catalog. It looks really neat.
Eric was so excited when he saw ours. I've never seen a nativity like that; it's so cool. Definitely something we need to keep away from Ash, though. :)
We had one when I was little too. I want one again...maybe next year!
Steph, we haven't lit ours since we took the picture. Jensen stuck his finger right in the flame of one of the candles! But it's fun to look at and the boys like blowing the blades to make it spin.
Regan, my mom got it from Deseret Book!
Wow! That's beautiful!
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