I was driving home the other night, and couldn’t help but grin like a fool at all the Christmas lights my little community has set ablaze. Trees with their trunks wrapped with white bulbs, fake candles glowing electric orange in apartment windows. And that’s when I smacked my hand on the steering wheel and said, “Oh, man! I have to tell the Internet about the Baby Jesus-es!”
I bring you good tidings of great joy, Internet. There is a street in Napoli, the entire length of which is dedicated to the Nativity.
The irony is that it’s packed with people, most of whom are trying to lift your wallet, but I digress. It’s a whole street filled with shops dedicated to providing the good people of Napoli with their manger scene needs! It was glorious! If it was the kind of street where it was safe to whip out your camera, I’d have pictures to show you – pictures of a store that sold nothing but the Baby Jesus.
Bins, baskets, heaps, walls covered in the Baby Jesus. It was Italy, so we didn’t see too much variety as far as skin color, but ignoring that, there was every kind of Baby Jesus you can imagine. Skinny, plump, clothed, nekkid, curly haired, bald. I love that no one can agree on what his Almightyness looked like, and it doesn’t seem to matter. You know, so long as you don’t go making him black, or *gasp* appropriately Middle Eastern.
Ooooh. I would have loved that. I was raised Southern Baptist, but have always appreciated the Catholic flair for devotional accessories. If only I had some Italian Jesus-es to go with my rapidly growing Virgin collection! Luckily, I live in Pittsburgh, where there are giant cathedrals every block or so, complete with gift shops.
The Italian equivalent of those smokey mountain gift shops that sell corks in cedar wood boxes as “diahera cures”. All class.
This brings to mind a question once pondered before among a group of my friends: Is Jesi the plural of Jesus?
Ha! This makes me think of Regina Spektor’s song, “Baby Jesus.” If you haven’t heard it, it’s definitely worth looking into.
Sounds like quite the site to see! Oh, and I grin like such a fool at all the Christmas lights too.
Heather, on an unrelated note, I’ll bet Sir Hal is thrilled to have his mama home! And welcome back!
hahaha! oh my parents would have died in adoration.
awww. my favorite manger scene ornament has Joseph in lederhosen.
Your black/middle eastern comment has me yelling at my computer screen in agreement… Why would the corporate powers-that-be think He would’ve looked like a tan emigrant from the central Europe?!?
mike is back. it’s a christmas miracle.
are you home, fish? or just for the holiday?
You’re so funny
As soon as I started reading your tale, I was reminded of the Pope-a-toriums ™ (or is that Pop-a-toriA in the plural?) I saw in Rome. Well, we WERE right by the Vatican, but still … Didn’t see too much in the way of Benny the 10th memorabilia, but wall to wall, floor to ceiling everything with John Paul II souvenirs. Every store for at least a block was a Pop-a-torium. Craziness.
Bah. Humbug.
haha! its Jebus! that is soo fabulous..i want to go to Italy now…just for that street
Holy Crap! (pun intended) ‘Tis the Season!
NO one knows what Jesus looks like. He could be, black, white or other.Man just made him into what they PERCEIVE him to look like but no one ever really knows.
NO one knows what Jesus looks like. He could be, black, white or other.Man just made him into what they PERCEIVE him to look like but no one ever really knows.
NO one knows what Jesus looks like. He could be, black, white or other.Man just made him into what they PERCEIVE him to look like but no one ever really knows.
I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time. I think the world needs more nekkid Baby Jesus-es!
I also LOVE that the Italians call these “Bambini” (yes, also the word for children/babies) because that’s even more fun than a shop full of Jesuses.
I HAD to buy a bobble-head Pope when I exited the vatican, simply because I couldn’t believe there was such a thing. The stores outside of this absolutely breathtaking compound were filled with every kind of pope-embossed trinket you could imagine. It reminded me of the gift shops at Disney…plastic ‘goofy’ rosaries and all. Made in China.