My friend Autumn has been posting about all things Christmas for over two weeks now. Each day is dedicated to one particular aspect of the Christmas season. Her post about Ornaments – specifically ornaments that she has collected from her travels – reminded me of my favorite Christmas decoration: the nativity set I purchased in Bethlehem.

When I was a junior at North Park College in Chicago, I took a class called “The Historical Geography of Israel.” We studied the various places in Israel from biblical times, drew on maps, and then went to Israel for two weeks during Christmas break. We spent one week just in Jerusalem, and the other week traveling all over the rest of the country. It was my intention before we left to find a nativity set to purchase while we were in Bethlehem. I found it in a small shop near the Church of the Nativity which supposedly marks the historic spot where Jesus was born.

Now it graces my fireplace mantle each year:

Autumn is currently hosting a giveaway for a nativity set on her blog, so if you would like to enter, just click here for more information. Giveaway ends Thursday, so you’ll have to go quickly!