Every Christmas,
Markets are set up all over town,
Hundreds of stalls selling
Cactus,
Heno,
Tree bark,
Fir boughs,
Painted clay figures,
Glittery things,
Lights,
Nino Jesus dolls – the Santo Nino
Along with elaborate hand made clothing
To dress him in, for his birth
Nacimentos (nativities) here in Mexico,
Are room size affairs.
They are not a little box that sits on your hearth,
Not by any stretch of the imagination.
They literally fill a whole corner or wall of the living room.
In the next posts,
I’ll go into the making of a nativity,
The fabulous over the top Christmas markets here,
But for now, here are the babes of the nacimientos.
If you click on the photo above,
It will take you to a slideshow of these gorgeous creatures.
These Santo Ninos belong to the owners of the market booths.
They will be placed in their nativities on Christmas eve.
Some are very old, have chips and flaws,
Have been repaired.
They can be found in outfits
Ranging from nurses to the pope.
The owners of these market stalls
Have been sewing for months –
Some all year long
To bring these charming outfits to market
For you to buy for your baby Jesus.
© 2009