St Martin in the Woods

I visited the Many Mangers exhibition at St Martin in the Woods church this weekend, not knowing quite what to expect.

Well, obviously I was expecting nativity scenes.  But the flyer stated “over 100 from all over the world”.  Really?  Where was a small church in Chandler’s Ford going to get hold of such a variety?

The answer was simple yet amazing.  From local parishioners.  Dozens of people had come forward with their cherished nativity scenes, lending them to the church for a few days before they took on their annual role as part of the family’s Christmas decorations.

A helpful leaflet gave details of the background to each model.  One common topic came out loud and clear.  These scenes all had their own family history; sometimes going back decades.  Each year they are brought out from storage, and each year they evoke particular memories to their owners.  How they were made; where they were bought; who broke them; who mended them; and, in one case, how the Baby Jesus disappeared, only to reappear in the pocket of dad’s best suit at Easter (presumably the next time he wore it).

Nativity scenes from far-flung corners of the world had been bought as souvenirs of travels.  Wherever the set came from, the scene was familiar: Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, shepherds, wise men, and a few animals (no Catalan caganers, though).  But each country portrayed the human elements in local style.

The three wise men, I learned, are sometimes thought to represent the three then-known continents of the world: Europe, Africa and Asia.  In this scene, from Mexico, they also represent youth, middle-age and old-age.

All in all, a fascinating display of nativity scenes that were similar yet different; familiar yet surprising.  And a great outreach opportunity for the parish of Chandler’s Ford at the start of the Advent season.