Ceramic artist Genny Di Virgilio shows his nativity scene made of United States presidential candidates, at his shop in Naples November 14, 2007. From left are figures of Barack Obama, John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Rudolph Giuliani.
Posted on 12/05/2007 6:25:38 AM PST by NYer
NAPLES, Italy (Reuters Life!) - If you are looking for something different for your nativity scene this year, head to Italy's city of Naples where you can buy miniature replicas of U.S. presidential candidates to place next to your baby Jesus.
The production of handmade nativity scene figurines is big business in Naples and has been since the eighteenth century.
Thousands of angels, sheep and Marys and Josephs fill market stalls at this time of the year as shoppers choose their personal way to tell the Christmas story.
Tradition requires that the nativity scene be built up over time until Christmas Eve, when baby Jesus is put in the manger as the very last element of the display.
As always, figurine-makers provide a chance to choose a more lighthearted approach for the scene providing replicas of personalities who have made the news during the last year.
This year the American presidential candidates are on offer with miniature copies of Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama alongside Republican candidates John McCain and Rudolph Giuliani.
"I made the U.S. primaries nativity crib' said proud figurine-maker Gennaro di Virgilio in the packed alleyways of the Spanish Quarter.
"The figures are the top runners as U.S. president. Look, we have Hillary Clinton, Obama, McCain and Giuliani. I hope, however, that Hillary wins. I think she is one of the favorites in America. Her husband was a great man," he said.
Another popular figurine this year is that of opera legend Luciano Pavarotti who died in September.
But despite many making a special effort to keep up the tradition of handmade nativity scenes in the home at Christmas it maybe is not quite so important for the younger generation.
"I like nativity cribs but I prefer the Christmas tree, even if just by a tiny bit," said nine-year-old Francesco.
No Mao jacket?
Naples is a hole.
THAT DOES IT!...NO Ferrari this year for Christmas.
It is not suprising because often in these type of Nativity scenes, comtempary settings are often involved.
That is the closet to a Mao jacket. :)
But that's show biz.
Leni
Well, now you can add a cow and a sow.........
Obama looks like Howdy Doody
That is the stupidist thing I have ever heard of. They have no business being anywhere close to Jesus.
MY EYES!!!!!!!!!!!!...............
Just a word from my me to my paisans in my Grandfathers home town.
Do your research a little better homies, Klintoon and Hussein are UN-AMERICANs. McCain is the Manchurian Candidate. and Rudy is a Socialist gun-grabbing baby killer.
I love the Italian people. I have worked in Italy at least 7 times. This is the biggest crap I have ever seen from them. This boy needs to stop looking a the liberal press over there.
And here I was fretting about putting both the baby Jesus in before Christmas and having the wisemen out prior to Epiphany.
Could you please kill post #8. It’s killing my monitor!............
I have long maintained that Italy has no press, just a ‘stampa’. I lived there for 3 years, and I can document this to be the truth. Saying that ‘stampa’ is the Italian word for press is akin to saying that ‘risotto’ is the Italian word for diarrhea.
That Italians think that McCain and Giuliani are the Republican frontrunners is just more evidence in support of my position.
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