Away in the manger(s)

Alex woman has collected over 130 nativity sets

By Julie Parent

Many households have a nativity set (or two) on display as a way to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ over the Christmas season. Cathy Johnson of Alexandria has taken that celebration to the next level. She has collected more than 130 nativity sets and continues to add to her unique collection. 

Cathy Johnson and her dog Chewy are surrounded by nativity sets throughout the room. Photo by Julie Parent

A nativity scene typically consists of the baby Jesus in a manger filled with straw in a stable. The newborn is surrounded by adoring onlookers including his virgin mother Mary, Mary’s husband Joseph, a variety of farm animals, shepherds, three wisemen bearing valuable gifts, and an angel. Christians believe Jesus was born in a stable, because there was no room for Mary and Joseph at an inn when they were traveling from Nazareth, Israel to Bethlehem, Palestine. Saint Francis of Assisi is known for putting together a live nativity in Greccio, Italy in 1223 for people who couldn’t read biblical scriptures. Since then, nativity sets have evolved from elaborate displays primarily seen in churches to the tabletop versions that are commonly seen in households across the world today.

Cathy wanted a nativity set for as long as she could remember, but there were many years she could not afford one. She bought her first one when it was on sale after the holidays at a Montgomery Ward department store in Fort Collins, Colorado. She and her late husband were living in Colorado at that time, because he was a pastor at a church there. The set she got wasn’t breakable so children could handle it. Cathy’s rule was, “They could touch the pieces, but they could not remove them from the stable.” After buying that one, they just “started multiplying,” she said.

 The tiniest nativity set Cathy Johnson has is about the size of a thimble. Photo by Julie Parent

Cathy has received some of her nativity sets as gifts. If it was an expensive set, sometimes the gift giver would give her one piece every year until she had the complete set. If there was a particular set she was interested in, her adult son would intentionally watch to see if the pieces were being sold at estate sales. She has also purchased nativity sets at garage sales and other places where they tend to be less expensive. Recently, she bought four different nativity sets at the Alexandria Senior Center.

Cathy’s friends and family members have also brought nativity sets home for her from the places they have traveled to, such as Peru, Israel, Argentina, Mexico, and the Holyland.

Cathy’s nativity sets are vastly different. Some of them are ceramic, plastic, or made with different types of wood. Her son’s friend, who is an artist, made a one-of-a-kind set for her with stained glass. She has a nativity set ornament that can be hung on a Christmas tree. One of her nativity sets was placed inside a snow globe, and another one has a wind-up key to play music. She has a framed picture of a nativity scene that was drawn beautifully by a child. One of the sets was made without any faces on the figurines. Another set has a pig in the stable which is uncommon. One was made with clay and cardboard by children who attended Sunday school decades ago. Some have popular brand names, like Nambe, or were sold at high-end department stores such as Neiman Marcus. Some are quite a bit larger or smaller than others.

The pieces of one of Cathy Johnson’s unique nativity sets were creatively placed in the hot wax of a carved candle. Photo by Julie Parent

“They’re just special and so unique and so different,” Cathy said.

One time, Cathy used Rub ‘n Buff on a knee-high set she bought when she and her husband lived in East Peoria, Illinois. Rub ‘n Buff is a wax paste. When rubbed on and buffed off as the name suggests, it gives products it is applied to a metallic sheen.

Many people question the accuracy of nativity sets. However, Cathy said the exact details don’t really matter. To her, what’s important is that they “remind me of the birth of Jesus,”

she said.

One unique nativity set in Cathy’s collection. Photo by Julie Parent

Cathy has carefully placed many of her sets all over her house and she leaves them up year-round. Some are clearly visible. Others are inconspicuous. She keeps the sets that are fragile in storage. Last winter, many of them got soaked when her water heater burst and started spewing water everywhere. When the sets had dried completely, she decided to pack them away in airtight plastic totes so they would be better protected.

Cathy hopes to set up her entire collection and have an open house before 2025 ends. Even though there is a risk of breakage every time she unpacks them, she said it is “still worth it to share.” She is happy to get them out for special occasions, too. First Congregational United Church of Christ member Barbara Brown said, “Cathy has been willing for many years to bring parts of her collection to our church to be used as parts of our Advent decor. We have used smaller nativity sets as table decorations and larger pieces in our sanctuary. I am so amazed at the ethnic diversity of her collection. It’s a wonderful opportunity to learn about the visual art aspect of various cultures.”