The Art Institute Crèche

The Art Institute of Chicago this rare Neapolitan Crèche in 2013, but I only found out about it this year.  This is what happens when you let your membership lapse.  Shame on me!

In a bit of serendipity, my son, John, happens to have arrived early for the Christmas holiday, so he tagged along with us.  It was so much fun having him with us!

It was absolutely worth the visit!  So beautiful!  

The figures in the Crèche date from the 18th Century, and all the garments are made of silk, so in order to preserve them, the Crèche is only shown for a few weeks a year around the Christmas holiday.

It includes 50 animals and 41 items of food or drink.  

The details are simply amazing!

This is definitely not a pastoral tableau.

  It is modeled after a busy Neapolitan village.

I could not get a clear shot of the gorgeous baroque cabinet in which it is displayed.  Next year, I'm coming in the middle of the week, and earlier in the day!

I am told that there's another crèche displayed at the Met in New York around the holidays, so now I'm thinking I need to add a trip to the Big Apple at Christmas so I can see it!

Afterwards, we wondered around to see the permanent displays.  It's always a thrill to see my favorites.  Here's the stunning La Grande Jatte (1889) by Seurat.  Being at this wonderful museum, with my son, is the best gift I could have asked for this Christmas.

Three Kings Day - A Special Day

I was four years old, I think, when this picture was taken on the morning of Three Kings Day . . . El día de los Reyes Magos . . . That's when children in Cuba, and most of Latin America, receive their presents . . .  What a magical day!

I have tried to keep the tradition alive for my own children here in the United States.  As children, Santa Claus delivered most of their gifts on Christmas morning . . . but somehow, Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar managed to find their way to the American Midwest to deliver one or two small presents on the day of Epiphany . . .

This year, for our Three Kings Day Open House, I decided to place the Nativity Scene, right smack in the middle of the Dining Room table, with the savory treats placed in the perimeter . . . I used a length of burlap on top of the tablecloth, to highlight the humble surroundings at Jesus' birth . . .

We started collecting this Nativity set by Fontanini when my oldest son was born.  It has worked out splendidly.  I wanted a set that my children could touch and play with as they were growing up, so that the Nativity story would become familiar to them . . . My creative children would rearrange the figurines, and would even have Baby Jesus riding on the camels before putting him down for a nap . . .  Even after all these years, the pieces are in excellent shape.  The muted palette is lovely, I think, and each piece came with a charming little story describing its individual role . . .

 

And here are the three wise men, Gaspar, Melchior and Balthazar, who brought gold, myrrh and frankincense to the Baby Jesus . . .

 

The desserts were displayed in the kitchen table, with the Willow Tree by Demdaco figurines acting as a centerpiece.  I placed them on a cake stand and scattered some “snow” around their feet . .

 

A 2005 Swarovski snowflake dangled from the chandelier and made a credible “star” for the Magi . . .

 

There was lots of food . . . We had ham and cheese sandwiches and cucumber sandwiches with herbed cream cheese (I never pass up a chance to make cucumber sandwiches) . . . We had an exquisite cheese tray brought by my sister-in-law, Mary Ann . . . We had potato salad and egg salad . . . This chicken salad was my mother's specialty and is now my favorite  . . . Every bite is chock full of sweet fruit, including grapes, apples, cranberries and golden raisins . . . I love the sweet-tart combination of fruit and freshly-squeezed lemon juice . . .

A bowl of berries . . . a simple but delicious indulgence . . . Who doesn't like a bowl of berries . . . ?

We had mini-scones . . . 

 

My favorite date nut bread . . . Click here if you want the recipe . . . 

My son, John, made almond bark . . .

And he baked all these chocolate chip cookies . . .  Is it any wonder I miss this kid so much when he goes back to college . . . ?

 

Turrones are candied nougats made in Spain, and these were the traditional sweets we ate at Christmas.  They'd show up in the stores in mid-December and would disappear after New Year's.  In this platter I have Fruit Nougat, Marzipan and Egg Yolk Nougat . . .

Here's the King of the Turrones . . . Turrón Jijona, a sweet bar made with ground almonds and honey . . . It is sublime . . . It comes wrapped in several layers of plastic to hold in all the natural oils from the almonds . . .  All you need is a little morsel because it's very sweet, but, oh, so satisfying . . .

Here's our version of King Cake - a spice cake that turned out as delicious as it looked sad. 

NOTE TO SELF:  DO NOT cover spice cake with plastic wrap after glazing so the cake doesn't end up looking like this . . .

 

A little plastic baby was hidden inside the spice cake . . . as tiny as an almond . . . whoever ended up with the baby in their piece of cake is declared King (or Queen) of the Day and receives a special prize (this year, it was a bottle of champagne) . . .

Each guest went home with an Epiphany kit . . .

 

A lottery ticket . . . some candy . . . and a piece of white chalk rolled up in a little scroll . . .

The scroll contains a house blessing for the new year, a tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages . . .

We lined up all the little bags on top of the bookcases . . .

 And here I am, with my sweet husband, as we got ready to open our home to friends and family . . .

 

May the love of the Wise Men guide our steps so that the light of Jesus is revealed to us . . .  May we always be inspired to follow the star that is the love of God . . .

Joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday.

Happy birthday, Al!

Today, my baby brother is turning 50! Yikes! Somehow, this is harder to process than my own 50th birthday which happened almost two years ago!

Here is a picture of the two of us at Al's 3rd birthday party. Behind us is the Nativity Scene that was part of our Christmas celebration. The desert landscape in the background was painted by my uncle Armando on a canvas that was rolled up after Epiphany and reused every year.

 

I remember being in love with my dress, which was made of black gingham with yellow rick rack trim forming a band at the bottom of the skirt. The party hat I wore was made of yellow shredded tissue paper, with white trim and pom-pom. I recall, as only an older sister can, Al being a brat that night. He was given a party horn and wouldn't stop blowing it right in my ear! Even when this picture was taken, he wouldn't let go of it. Finally, the photographer talked him into hiding it behind his back. Happy birthday, Al! And many, many more!

Three Kings Day

The Three Kings Day is also known as Epiphany.  Epiphany is a Greek word which means “appearance.”  The Catholic Church celebrates Epiphany as the first appearance of Christ to the Gentiles. According to Webster's Dictionary, epiphany also means "an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking."

The light of Epiphany is as bright as the star that guided the Magi to the baby Jesus.  When we see it, it is so awesome!  I pray for a year of epiphanies.  May they teach me, and humble me, and guide me through the complicated labyrinth of life.