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Innovative nativity scenes go viral as people reimagine Bethlehem using ketchup, bleach and cherry lip balm

Marie Kondo came, saw and conquered nativity scenes - getting us all to embrace the minimalist approach even when it comes to the holy family

Sophie Gallagher
Friday 11 December 2020 15:29 GMT
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(Getty Images)

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‘Tis the time of the year when we decorate our houses with wreaths, garlands, Christmas trees, tins of Quality Street, and of course - in many homes - the obligatory nativity scene.

While lots of people celebrate Christmas as atheists, lapsed Christians, or just as a non-religious cultural holiday, the nativity scene reminds us of the origins of the season. Or at least it’s meant to.

As with all decorative interior touches, the nativity scene has not escaped the advent of minimalism: the Instagram aesthetic spawned by a thousand white walls and cemented by 2018 joy-promoter and thrower-away-in-chief Marie Kondo.  

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While Kondo does not dominate the zeitgeist as much as she once did, her legacy remains. And it seems even the son of Christ has not escaped the decluttering age.

This week, Twitter user Kirby Jones shared images of some ultimate minimalist nativity scenes she had come across online - including one made entirely out of balls and another out of glass panels.

She captioned her discovery: “Last night I discovered “minimalist nativity sets” and I am WEEPING.”

But Jones (who wasn’t too pleased with the $150 price tag on some of them) wasn’t the only one to have made the discovery - hundreds of people replied with their own versions from pandemic-appropriate cleaning products to pepper shakers.

One person shared a pared-back nativity scene complete with knitted jackets that they’d been given by their aunt.

Anyone else remember Domestos being mentioned in the bible?  

In 2020 of course we had to have the minimalist nativity coronavirus edition.  

Someone who apparently has a lot of hotel mini condiments to hand.

A tube of cherry Carmex lip balm cosplaying as Joseph. We love to see it.

Or even a bag of licorice sweets getting involved in the fun.

Other food themed set ups included this one with a bag of walnuts and half an apple.

We even had a physics circuit rendition of the story from a laboratory assistant. Who says religion and science cannot coexist?  

The IT department didn’t want to be left out of the nativity action.  

Minimalism doesn’t have to be confined to the home - others shared pictures from the wild.

Merry Christmas indeed.

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