Nativities of the World: The Merrill Family Collection

This book has been in the making ever since my very first Christmas.  It began with the nativity scene on the cover - my mom wanted a traditional Nativity set to be the central part of the Christmas decorations. She found the perfect set that would be large enough and sturdy enough to withstand the small fingers of their growing family.   As our family grew so did the collection. My sibling and I grew up and left home, and we found new versions of the Nativity in many countries where we traveled. Later on, spouses started finding special Nativities as well, and friends also added treasured pieces to the collection. The collection has grown to more than 200 Nativity sets of various sizes and configurations, and they are presented here in this book. As you look through the pages, notice the different settings, the cribs for Jesus, the clothing and the animals representing the nationalities of people all over the world. Read the stories of how each Nativity set came to be a part of our fa