Season's Greetings with pictures

[selenak]

As we do every year, the APs and myself yesterday afternoon went to visit various Bamberg churches which host beautiful nativity scenes, with the figurines and displays lovingly crafted. And my Mongolian camera turned out to deliver some great details!



There is one small chappel, St. Maternus, which always presents various nativity scenes from the local nativity builders, which is why St. Maternus is always an early stop.

Searching for aroom at the inn in Bamberg. That's the cathedral painted in the background:



Another Searching scene in front of Franconian background:



Adoration of the Kings set in the courtyard of the local (Bamberg) castle, the Altenburg:



The Annunciation in an utterly Franconian 19th century living room:



Searching for a room at an inn. This is the only one of these scenes which tries to depict a highly pregnant Mary realistically:



And an African nativity:




St. Martin is a former Jesuit church. Its nativity doesn't have particularly good lightning but is still beautiful.





On to the details. Romans coming through the gate:



And a well:



The nativity itself:



I love the lone curious watcher observing not the nativity but the town:



The "Obere Pfarre", also known as Our Lady's, hosts the largest of the nativities, which is made to look like a medieval town. First, here's me attempting to show quite how large it is from both sides:





Shephards and the angel:


One of the shepherds was caught asleep by the angel:



Another boy is struggling with his sheep:



The nativity itself:



Bethlehem carpenters. Observe that in the background, you can see a sketch of the church this nativity is set in:





Family meal in the town square:







Gold smiths:



A look at the church itself:



Outside of the church, there is yet another nativity scene:



The most beautiful of all the nativities is the one in the Carmelite Church, officially St. Theodore's, only nobody calls it that - Bambergers say "Carmel's".








All the detailed town life is so lovely. Bustling business at the gate:






Here are the potters.



Game players in front:



Another bunch of people enjoying a meal:



A basketball player in Bethlehem! One reason why this is such a neat touch is that Bamberg has one of the most succesful German basketball teams.





A buttermaker:



This is also the only one of the nativity scenes which includes a synagogue in its depiction of Bethlehem:



I can't decide whether these ladies are shopping fish or bread:



But he is definitely offering carpets:



And the nativity itself:



With this, I conclude my Christmas pic spam and wish everyone great holidays!