Vintage figures in the manger scene at Florida's Basilica of Saint Augustine were carefully restored by artist Maggie Cox. Placed in a reworked setting, and surrounded by Florida palms, the nativity was admired by countless thousands of visitors to the nation's first Catholic parish during the 2009 Christmas season.
It's almost perfection. The figures are unique and beautiful. Replace the straw with sand from the beach and add more Florida-syle artificial shrubs (in the same scale as the figures) and it will be spectacular. Not many churches in North America have a nativity that can compare to this.
cmyers2009 2 years ago
The overuse of straw comes from the 19th century F.W. Woolworth nativity "school." Maybe December 2010 will see sand used in this setting. The straw belongs in the manger (feeding trough) with just a small amount scattered below.
nativities2 2 years ago