Interfaith Creche Exhibit, Midway, UT

Yesterday, Denna and I went on our annual excursion to see an expansive Creche exhibit in Midway, UT. I have loved these type of exhibits since the Ann Arbor Stake hosted one when we lived there. It is amazing to look at hundreds of Nativity sets from all over the world ranging from the homemade, to folk art, to expensive porcelain, & on, & on. I most attracted to the folk art, but the most beautiful set I've ever seen is a porcelain one from Ireland with green and gold highlights. They had a whole room devoted to depictions of Mary & Russian icons. Another room giant Fontanini collection that seemed to depict the entire ancient Holy Land and all its inhabitants, roads, bodies of water, etc. It reminded of the fabulous display of French Santons I loved to see in the Ann Arbor exhibit.

There were, of course, some low points in the exhibit. A 'smores' Nativity featured a mini-marshmallow Jesus laying on a graham cracker with a chocolate blanket. Someone had decorated a group of small, yellow, rubber ducks to represent the main characters associated with Christ's birth. I started singing to Denna, "Rubber Ducky, you're the One..." She didn't think that was funny. I thought the song was funny, but not the duck Nativity! There were several 'Eskimo' sets with penguins who, apparently, had traveled from the Antarctic to Alaska to visit the baby Jesus. (No photography was allowed in the exhibit, but this a photo of one of my own sets.)

We left the Salt Lake valley in light rain and were bit worried about the weather for driving. Sure enough, we drove into a beautiful, dangerous storm on the Wasatch Back. The driving was treacherous on the way and terrifying on the way back- but it was worth the trip.