NATIVITIES
Dayton, Ohio
10 - 12 December 2019
For several years Janet had heard of the Nativity Exhibit at the Marian Library in Dayton, Ohio at the University of Dayton. We decided to go this year and Carlajo went with us. We flew non-stop from DFW to Dayton on American Airlines and stayed at the Marriott University of Dayton. While the hotel had no airport transfers, it did have a van to take us to and from the library.
The nativities varied in size, shape, and materials. Some were huge; others were tiny. While several contained many figures and portrayed a huge scene, others were only the Holy Family. While Janet has over 200 nativities in her collection, we saw about 10 like ones she has.
Upon entering the Roesch Library on the university campus, we saw several nativities displayed in the lobby area.
There was a special exhibit on the first floor of the building containing nativities which the volunteers had selected as their favorites. The theme for this year's display was A Labor of Love meant to emphasize the thousands of hours volunteers spend each year to maintain the collection.
In the Creche Museum in the Marian Library section of the building, we saw many, many more nativities from all over the world. The collection itself comprises a couple of thousand nativities; each year some are selected for display while others remain in storage.
We enjoyed the trip and the mind-boggling collection was well worth the visit.
