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Live nativity scenes in Pals.

Having decided to take a walk on Sunday evening in the wonderful medieval town of Pals, we quite by chance discovered an amazing local tradition unfamiliar to us; namely – live nativity scenes (Pessebres vivents in Catalan). These Christmas shows take place in various towns and villages in Catalonia. These are illustrations of the story of the birth of Christ – here you will find the conversation between the angel and Mary, and the census of the population in Bethlehem, the wanderings of Mary and Joseph, the arrival of the Kings of the East with gifts, and, finally, the blessed birth of Christ in a stable. Local residents, in appropriate vestments, depict the inhabitants of Bethlehem, each engaged in his own craft; the imperial guards walk menacingly through the streets of the city, and a whole brood of devils hides behind bars in a small den!

We present to your attention a few photos of this wonderful performance.

The biblical scene of the fall of Adam. It was from this moment that all the problems of humanity began…

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The biblical hero David is a king, poet, musician.

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Star of Bethlehem, announcing the birth of the new king of Judah.

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Population census in Bethlehem.

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Formidable guards at the palace of King Herod.

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And in the palace of the king there is an abundance of luxury; Herod is having a good time surrounded by women.

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While the king is having fun, the common people work without rest. In the photo – the whole family, young and old, works in a shoe-making workshop.

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Craftsmen for making wicker baskets.

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The most popular place on the show is the winery. Here you can taste homemade wine from the traditional Catalan vessel – porron.

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Hardworking Catalan women manage to cut firewood and treat passers-by with bread and olive oil.

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Ordinary Catalans are forced to cook their own supper right on the street. A talkative neighbor reveals what kind of gilt-head bream he caught while fishing last weekend, showing off the size of its eyes.

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Suddenly, a Roman patrol appears out of nowhere. The patrol commander, without further ado, confiscates that traditional Catalan wine vessel – porron, and after drinking a good half, loudly announces: “Taxes paid!”.

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The blacksmiths put on a mesmerizing show for the audience.

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Sky angels…

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… and evil demons, frightening passers-by with hellish howls and striving to poke sinners with plastic pitchforks.

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Three kings of the East (they are also magicians, they are also sorcerers), Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar, who arrived in Bethlehem to bow to the new king of Judah.

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Joseph and Mary with newborn Jesus leave Bethlehem and go to Egypt.

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More photos, as well as a short story about the live nativity scenes in Pals, can be found following this link in our blog.