Your holiday season doesn’t have to be all hustle and bustle, all the time. There are still plenty of opportunities to “keep Christmas” amid the swirl of shopping, socializing, and stressing.
To that end… a special collection of Nativity Scenes will be on exhibit in the fellowship hall of Beaufort’s First Presbyterian Church on Friday and Saturday, the first weekend in December.
The Mary Martha Circle will have over 55 creches on display, from various parts of the world, all of which were collected by members of the circle over the years.
“I began collecting nativities in the first year of my marriage,” says one of the organizers, Peggy Fryer. “I made my own out of papier mache, first. Several years later, my mother-in-law gave me one as a gift…
“When we traveled to Mexico, I saw a pottery scene and bought it. At some point, I began to collect nativities as souvenirs from our trips inside and outside this country. I found the figures representative of various cultures, telling the Christmas story from the viewpoints of the local people.
When Peggy moved to Beaufort, she discovered other crèche collectors, which made her hobby even more fun.
“Marion Leach invited me to go to Mepkin Abby to their annual Creche Festival. My collection grew larger each year. Today I have over 55 nativities from Native American to African. I have many from Latin America, and my newest are from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and Germany.”
The public is invited to come and view this special collection of Nativity Scenes on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 2 and 3, between the hours of 10 am and 3 pm. There is no charge for admission. First Presbyterian is located at the corner of Church and North Streets in downtown Beaufort. The fellowship hall is in the education building, across the street from the sanctuary.
