The Nativity

Now that the outside lights are up and the reindeer across the yard on the fake snow replacing the fake spider webs and the inflatable Santa with the speakers blaring Mannheim Steamroller to the parade of tacky light tour caroling gawkers stopping to pee on your lawn and unplugging one bulb, it is time to go inside and put up the tree, string the walls with garland, bring out the candles (and the Fire Extinguisher) then dig into the ancient delicate heirloom tree ornaments and tinsel to attract the cat.

As you pull the ugly sweaters and Santa hats out of mothballs there is a dusty box in the corner.

It is the nativity.

Most are the little open barn with the manger and the little baby Jesus surrounded by Joseph and Mary action figures. The good ones have the sheep and the donkey and an angle from up above (hung by a string to attract the cat). The really big sets have the wise men and camels and shepherds with tourist taking selfies. All carefully placed on green plastic straw or mulch from the garden, everyone can stand back and spiritually moved (until the cat arrives). A smart family will put the nativity in the middle of the circular miniature train set to keep the cat away.

If the nativity is on a table or desk, in the morning little baby Jesus will be missing. If you put the nativity up on a shelf you can’t see when the figures move when you are not watching. Sometimes you can hear them when you turn out the lights.

My wife wanted a nativity.

With seven cats and a dog, even the tree decoration tradition had been realized to be futile, but I would shop anyway.

There are the usual white dolls that are fashioned after the paintings in the Bible. There were unusual third world representations and even Avant Garde depictions of the holy scene. It was as difficult to decide as choosing pieces for a chess set.

As it was I never had to purchase another Christmas reminder but I still think about the nativity scenes when I pass by one.

Just like the star on top of the tree, the nativity will only be out until the 25^th, then shuttered away until next year. It will be a family tradition passed down through generations unless you add some Star War figures, a Barbie and GI Joe and a dinosaur or two.

I’ll leave the light on.