CELEBRATING THE ART OF THE CHRISTMAS STORY
More than 100 Nativities on Display
As a gift to the community, First Presbyterian Church of Beaufort is preparing for its weekend-long 9th Annual Nativity Display Celebration on December 13-15 – featuring more than 100 nativity scenes from around the world. As always, this year’s event is free to the public and is family-friendly.
“I love how these one-of-a-kind pieces of art from around the world all tell the same 2000-year-old story of Jesus of Nazareth’s birth, but none are exactly alike,” said Donna Sheetz, First Presbyterian’s Volunteer Nativity Event Coordinator. “People all over the community lend us their scenes for just a few days so we can share how the world depicts the Christmas story – some collectors with grand stories of travel experiences and gifts, and others who found their treasures at a local thrift store or from their grandmother’s attic.”
More than 600 people are expected at this year’s event and Donna said that this year’s display will feature more than 30 new scenes from around the world. One of the event’s newest and largest scenes is from Czechoslovakia. This nativity is being shared by Karen Erwin, a Beaufort High School math teacher, who will share close to a dozen nativities from her worldly collection. Her Czech scene has nearly 60 colorful pieces, and it certainly has a story to tell.
Karen shared, “My father was born in Czechoslovakia, but when he was nine, his family left during World War II. So when we were children, my grandparents kept traditions alive by cooking traditional Czech food and letting us play dress up in wonderful Czech costumes. Over the years, my parents have taken many trips to visit family there and during one visit, found this nativity for me, all wearing traditional Czech costumes. Sadly we lost this beautiful nativity – searching for it year after year, looking online to buy one similar, and even having relatives searching in Slovakia, but with no luck. When we moved to Beaufort, my husband had to re-box everything, and that’s when we found it! For the first time in 5 years, and for our first Christmas in Beaufort, we were able to enjoy this nativity from Czechoslovakia.
Like this one, each nativity on display has a story and a place of origin. Whether they are made of wood, ceramic, local shells, or recycled soda cans, they are each beautifully displayed and wonderfully unique. The nativities come in all shapes and sizes, and some so small they fit in a matchbox and others that sprawl across an entire table, like the scene from Bavaria being loaned by Reverend Terry Pfeiffer and his wife, Margey.
Reverend Pfeiffer, a retired United Methodist Minister, shared, “We have more than 30 manger scenes that we have received and collected from around the globe. One that is particularly special to us came from Bavaria in the 1800s. In 1901, my grandfather, living in Indiana, built the log cabin manger for the figurines. We have displayed and enjoyed it in our home for 78 Advent and Christmas seasons.”
Whether you want to bring your spouse, a friend, or grandchild, this weekend-long display is a great way to slow down and start off the season of Advent. The Nativity Celebration will be located in historic downtown Beaufort in the First Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall located at 1201 North Street, Beaufort, SC 29902. This event is free to the public and handicap accessible. The display will be open Friday, December 13, and Saturday, December 14, from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm and Sunday, December 15, from 12:00–2:00 pm. All ages are welcome.
In addition to celebrating the season, First Presbyterian Church of Beaufort acknowledges that Christmas is not always a festive time of year for everyone. On Tuesday, December 10, they will host a community-wide “Blue Christmas Service”, which is a service of remembrance, hope, comfort, and inspiration to those who find December a difficult time of year. All are welcome.
