Corrales prepares for festival of nativities

CORRALES — The Festival of the Nativities tradition in Corrales is set for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 14-15 at the Old San Ysidro Church.

There will be more than 100 special nativities, also called crèches or “Nacimientos,” from around the world.

“Come enjoy holiday music and light refreshments as you browse these one-of-a-kind treasures. From the tiniest crèche to the biggest, all will be beautifully displayed in the Old Church, festively decorated with greens, trees, colorful packages and poinsettias to spark your Christmas spirit,” a press release states. “Ever since Saint Francis of Assisi built the first Christmas creche, nativities have been revered all over the world, reflecting the traditions, culture, interpretations and style of the people building the scenes. They can be reverent or light-hearted, representational or abstracted, amusing or serious.”

According to the release, all nativities will reflect a local cultural view from a particular place and time.

“We are delighted to welcome our friends, neighbors and visitors to view these unique nativities from around the world in the historic Old Church — a gift to the community from CHS. Once again, we are asking members of the community to loan us their favorite nativities, complete with brief descriptions. Variety is what makes this show so special,” said Veronica Dutczak, a member of the festival committee.

The event is free but donations are welcome. Donations will go to preservation and maintenance of the Old Church and for hosting next year’s Festival of the Nativities.

Additionally, after the event, the poinsettias decorating the Old Church will be shared with homebound Sandoval County residents.

For more information on the Festival of the Nativities, contact Dutczak at chsnativities@corraleshistory.org or 303-907-1374.