ELLERBE — Ellerbe First Presbyterian Church hosted its fifth O Holy Night Around the World event on Sunday.
The event features over 100 nativity sets from over 20 countries displayed across themed tables. Each crèche was designed and crafted by artisans worldwide, showcasing diverse cultural interpretations of the Nativity story.
“We want to focus on missionaries that our division sponsors, so we have many nativities from all over the world and we like to focus on the culture of the country, but also name a missionary that is serving in that country,” said Beth Bryant, organizer and former chairman of Mission to the World PCA.
“We do this in hopes that people become more aware of missionaries and spread the gospel throughout the world,” Bryant said.
Bryant said she enjoys sharing the different renditions of the nativities.
“I love to share the different techniques in art with the community. This is a place where you can come and see so many different artisans, a rendition of the nativity. In the country, maybe they don’t have camels, so they put their wise men on horses, elephants or zebras. Every country is so unique.”
Bryant also explained that the art form used for each nativity is highlighted to showcase the talents of artisans.
“We try to bring out a color from the nativity, so that’s why you see so many purples and blues and hot pinks. We enjoy focusing on the particulars of the scene. We try to describe what [the nativity] is made of,” said Bryant. “Whether it’s resin, pottery, paper or clay so the participant who’s looking at it has an idea of how it was constructed.”
“One of my favorites is the one from Norway. That was hand-carved and hand-painted in the Henning studio, which is a very famous carving studio in Norway. The detail is amazing,” Bryant said.
Bryant said her ever-growing nativity collection comes from estate sales, donations and online purchases.
“I buy them when I travel and now that people know that’s what I like, they bring me back gifts of nativities from wherever they’ve been. It is amazing. I always try to note if somebody has donated it,” said Bryant.
One of the items presented was an angel with a night light from Beth Meacham, president of the Women’s Ministry, made from old stained-glass windows of Mark’s Creek Presbyterian Church in Hamlet.
“I grew up there. They put in new stained glass windows. Those were the windows as I was growing up out there. Rather than just throwing the glass away, they made that, so all the church members, whoever wanted it, were able to get that,” said Meacham.
Meacham said she gets to keep “a little bit of history and a lot of memories.”
The O Holy Night Around the World event will be open Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. in conjunction with Ellerbe Hometown Christmas.