O'Come All Ye Faithful...

While driving back from the grocery store yesterday, I noticed my local church had put up their nativity display. This particular set is life sized with a locally made manager that is quite charming. I admit I love these displays. I am not a follower of the religion that inspired them, but I have been attracted to the sets since I was a kid. Maybe because they look like rustic dollhouses for peasants - I also love dollhouses and peasants. I've even attended the Christmas Eve mass at this church to watch the kids, dressed up like bible characters, lead animals about (we have real sheep and a donkey in my town) and place the plastic baby jesus in his manager at midnight. I especially like the the little home versions of nativity sets that people put on their coffee tables, under the tree or balance on top of the TV cabinet. Be they antique Italian plaster or plastic with lead paint from China, I can appreciate them. For years, I wanted to do a photo series on the topic, but the internet has now done it for me. I sometimes wonder if a few don't fall into the sacrilege category- is it politically correct to portray Jesus as a teddy bear or snowman? Anyone else get the warm fuzzes over this form of folk art? Do you own a set because of nostalgia or belief? Is this topic at least as stimulating than Farmerman's Martha Stewart thread?