“Isn’t it pretty?” said five-year-old Eduardo to his mother while he sat on the straw, admiring the face of the virgin Mary at the real-size “ Nacimiento ” (nativity set) installed at the forecourt of the Xochimilco Mayor’s Office .
The nativity set is between 1.5 and 2 meters tall and will be on display until December 25 .
Citizens of Xochimilco and neighbors from nearby quarters may stop to admire the manger and the precision of Mary’s features: Bright eyes, thin lips, and an upturned nose. Most visitors take pictures with the life-size statue.
“Something like this had never been done before in this delegation. I am glad that they offered to do this for children to enjoy,” commented Gabriela Ramírez, mother of Eduardo .
Each character is hand-made out of recyclable materials: The Three Wise Men, Joseph, Mary, the angel, two peasants, baby Jesus, and even the Devil, as well as two donkeys, three chickens, and two sheep .
For a whole month, more than 100 members of all 11 cultural centers and the Archeology Museum of Xochimilco gathered newspaper, cardboard, paint, glue, papier mâché, and even household items so that families could gather to admire the altar during the holidays.
Jorge Chávez, head of the Santa Cecilia Tepetlapa Cultural Center , along with a team of six people, spent 15 days cutting egg plates to shape the bodies of Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthasar.
“I was blown away; to me, it is a work of art. I was very impressed when I saw the angels’ wings made of hand sanitizing towels,” described Josefina, a staff member of the Mayorship’s Cultural Center.
Visitors may also enjoy “ pastorelas ” from December 15 to 22 at 16:00 and 18:30 hours at the forecourt of the Mayor’s Office .
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