Posts tagged Christmas
Belenes, or Spanish Nativity Sets

We're a few months out from Christmas, but it won't be long before the decorations will come out. I'll decorate my apartment with some nativity sets collected from other countries, but although I've wanted to buy a Spanish one, I've had a hard time finding one. Here's why: Spanish nativity sets are passed on through families. Each year, the family adds a new element or two, until the nativity set is pretty detailed, containing more of a village than a set of one little family around a manger. In fact, Belén literally means, "Bethlehem" so perhaps that's part of why they set up an elaborate village scene, rather than just the usual few figurines. But the history and practice in Spain is pretty fascinating…

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