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Hello and Merry Christmas to Everybody!  

In Italy the winter season, especially the month of December, is a time known for its traditions, from putting up lights and stockings, to singing carols and preparing a Christmas tree.

But there is a strong tradition and symbol that dates back to many years ago and passed on from generation to generation: the construction of a "Presepe", a Nativity scene that reminds the birth of Jesus, for all who are Christians.

This scene offers a manger (in Italian "mangiatoia", literally manger, but most known as crib, usually placed in a hut or stable), angels, shepherds and the 3 Kings "Magi"; but often it includes the Nativity scene surrounded by villages, statues of all sorts of people doing all sorts of activities and houses representing everyday life, meaning that Christ was born for all the humanity and lived among everyday people.

The "Presepe" is truly a piece of Italy's tradition and heritage. The history of "Presepe" is well rooted in all Italy and even those who are not practicing Catholics tend to consider it an integrant part of their Christmas. 

Its tradition rooted deeply in the history of the Italian culture. Its creation is a ritual so joined in people's habits that they can’t renounce to it.

My boyfriend’s mother is amazing in creating the Nativity. Every year, she decides to create a nativity scene in a different part of the house: a year she built it into an old and brokend TV, another year she built it on a stairs.
This year, she decided to create a Nativity scene in a library, about 3 meters high.

She has used aluminum foil, a paper dedicated to recreate the mountains, rocks, moss and, obviously, statues of people, animals, and booths of all kinds.

A "Presepe" is a scene of the stable where Jesus was born, complete with statues that represent the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, the baby Jesus himself and the 3 Wise Men, the Kings called "Magi", (to be added on the 6th of January), shepherds, an ox and a donkey, but she usually makes a "Presepe" that includes also buildings of an entire village and lots of statues and nature.

Traditionally quite all the Italians take out their "Presepe" from its boxes on December 8th. Some people start building it on that day, others just modifing an existing one already made.
Be sure that you will find a "Presepe" in the home of almost all Italian Catholics.

And of course, in a house, you can not miss the Christmas tree!

This is a work of my boyfriend’s sister.

Merry Christmas again!!!

Guenda