The little town of Bethlehem in Israel (Palestine) is the place where Jesus is supposed to have been born, almost two thousand years ago. In about the year 330, Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor of Rome, built the Church of St. Mary in Bethlehem. This made Bethlehem a great pilgrim shrine, second only to the Tomb of Christ in Jerusalem, five miles south. Constantine's church, the oldest monument built by Christians, was later enlarged. A convent now covers the original "Cave of the Nativity," in which visitors are shown relics such as the trough or "manger" in which the Christ Child was placed.
A silver star fitted into the marble paving in the shrine is said to be the central point of the earth-the birthplace of Jesus-and around the star are set fifteen lamps that burn night and day. Bethlehem means "house of bread" in Hebrew. The sacred bread used on religious occasions was baked in Bethlehem. The town stands in a fertile district among olive and fig orchards and vineyards of grapes. The people carve and sell religious tokens-crucifixes, beads, boxes, and shells-made of mother-of-pearl, olivewood, and Dead Sea stone. Ancient Bethlehem was the birthplace and early home of King David of Israel, the writer of the Psalms. It was also the scene of the Bible story of Ruth. A small inn just outside Bethlehem was a regular stopping-place for those traveling to Egypt. The town was quite unknown when a prophecy foretold that the new Messiah or Savior would be born there
You might not realize it, but Nativity Scenes (or Crèches or Mangers as they are also known), have been around for a very long time going back several centuries even before Christmas Trees were introduced.
The tradition of sculpting nativity scenes for churches goes back to13th-century Italy and was popularized by St. Francis of Assisi when in 1223 helped by a local craftsman, he prepared a straw-filled manger complete with animals, in a natural cave in the town of Greccio, Italy, and celebrated the Christmas Eve mass there. Originally life size, Nativity Scenes are now much smaller and are traditionally placed under the Christmas tree.
There is a wide selection of Nativity scenes available today and there is something to suit all budgets, in all sizes and made out of all sorts of materials. The most special must surely be a Nativity Scene handcrafted in the Holy Land from the beautiful wood of Olive Trees grown in the mountains around the hills around Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Since the olive tree is a protected species in Israel it is not permitted to cut them down, and only the prunings of these trees can be used making it even more rare.
An olive wood nativity makes a perfect heirloom that can be used as a Christmas centerpiece year after year. They are imbued with spirituality and require very little care since the olive oil still present in the wood protects it from corrosion and changes of color. Craftsmen who have learnt the skill of carving from their ancestors lovingly carve each olive wood nativity scene, and no two will ever be exactly the same.
A nativity scene usually includes Joseph, Mary and Baby Jesus as well as a Shepherd, sheep and the Three Wise Men or the Magi as they are also know, as well as the Star of Bethlehem. In the more expensive models, these figures are removable allowing you to set up the Nativity scene as you wish. You can also buy inexpensive miniature nativity scenes that can be hung from your Christmas tree, but these are usually much simpler with just the Holy Family and the Star of Bethlehem.
Now is the perfect time to start a collection of Nativity Scenes and figurines, as there is such a wide selection available both online and in your local mall. Or go one step further and construct your own Nativity Scene - there are plenty of sites on the Internet that will show you how to do this. It can be a delightful way to spend an afternoon with your children teaching them the true meaning of Christmas.
It doesn't matter if your Nativity Scene is store bought or homemade, it will be a great reminder of the origins of Christmas. It doesn't matter if your family is particularly religious. By emphasizing traditions like this, you can give your children lots of happy memories of the holiday season, which will remain with them forever. Nothing says you care more than a gift that you have designed yourself. Wooden jewelry boxes for women made in old world style will definitely strike a chord. The elegance and strength of wood is unbeatable, thus making it perfect heirloom material.
There are a number of woods from which jewelry boxes can be made. Each of them comes with a different texture, finish, and durability. Common choices are mahogany, cherry, and maple. There are also those in white ash, walnut, and birch, as well as burl. Wood can be sourced from other countries and popular olivewood choices are rosewood, ebony, bocote, and jatobe. Other options can be found in lacewood, olivewood, and padauk. While all the exteriors of a good quality box are made in wood, the interiors are lined with velvet or satin.
If you wish to design a box that has heirloom qualities, you will want to look at various styles. A favored one is the jewelry chest. This consists of a set of drawers, side doors that open up and a flip top lid with a mirror.To the flip top lid, you could include an etched mirror or a small ballerina with some soft music. Either option makes the box look and feel elegant when it is opened. A few of the drawers can include cup holders for earrings and finger rings, while the side doors can have hooks for chains.
These chests sit pretty on the dresser and their facades can be decorated in several ways to make them look elegant. Marquetry is where the box can be done up in several tiny pieces of veneer in varying textures and colors. A beautiful design can be filled in with these.
Other decoration options include hand carving on the boxes, which add to their beauty. The finish of each handmade design is different and hence you will always have a one-of-a-kind box. Other decorative works can be of inlay, gem stone embellishments, and the like.Wooden boxes designed to be heirlooms can also be upright boxes that have removable trays. Each tray can be lined with suede, velvet, or satin and can have differently styled compartments for each type of accessory.
Another design for the box could be with small pull out drawers that open to varying levels. Here too, each one of them can have their own set of compartments giving you space for earrings, finger rings, watches, chains, bracelets, and other precious trinkets.What gives these boxes that heirloom-like touch is the finish. Rather than have metal handles for the drawers or knobs opt for wooden ones. Sometimes having these in a contrasting color of wood make them look better.
Even the hooks that you have on the inside for chains and bracelets can be made of wood. The rolls for watches or even the cups for rings can be fashioned out of it as well. Sometimes, skipping the varnishing of these boxes gives them a very natural look.Wooden jewelry boxes are cherished for years to come and naturally pass down through the generations. Therefore, creating one that has the potential of becoming a family heirloom will get you a lot of appreciation.