Manger in a Tin Box

Today, we are joining Show and Tell Friday on Cindy's blog, My Romantic Home. Go check out all the cool entries that come in every week!

Once, in a Mexican border town marketplace around Christmas time, I spotted a very small tin box.

Lifting the cover, there were all of the Nativity figures cut out and painted bright colors.

Several were painted with bright pink, my favorite color. None were more than three inches high.

Mary was there, along with Joseph, and, of course, the Baby Jesus. There was an angel, the three kings, and a little cow, donkey,and sheep.

Each figure had a crude wire attached to the back, to allow for standing.

I couldn't help but wonder who made this endearing set. Just cutting each figure out of tin must have taken quite a bit of patience.

Moving the wires against the backs of the figures allows them to be placed neatly back into the box.

At the time, there was almost no spending money but that little box with the fold-up manger scene came home with me.

This tin manger scene with its simplistic beauty has traveled cross-country with us and now comes out of the tin box every Christmas.

This year it rested on a round mirrored rack.

Pretty soon the little figures will be folded up, once again, and put to rest in the tin box between small squares of tissue paper until next Christmas.

Adios, amigos!

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