Nativity Scene

This is one of the highlights of the entire display.  It certainly is the most detailed.

All the 2/3 scale figures were cut out of 3/8 plywood and colored pictures of the shapes were pasted onto the wood. Extra coloring and other embellishments was done by my significant other, Barbara, to give the figures more depth.  I modified most of the figures, as follows:

• Kings: all have LEDs where there was supposed to be a jewel of some sort.  They all flash in a random order and are different colors.
• One king moves his arm up and down, gesturing to Baby Jesus.  He has a light in his moving hand.
• Donkey: his ears twitch when fireflies fly close to them
• Mary: She was pretty plain most of her life in my display, but last year I added bright aqua-colored neon wire around her veil.  See pictures.
• Baby Jesus:  All around the top of the cradle is a light string that moves slowly, fading in and out between adjacent bulbs.  Below the figure is an unseen black light that highlights the swaddling cloth.  A small light lights the face.
• Angel: There's a halo around the angel's head, made from some vertical incandescent readouts, an old CD and a small LCD TV backlight.  The readouts light sequentially, moving around the head.  Because of the angle of the lights, they light up as long triangles.  Kinda neat.  Last year I added bright magenta neon wire around the wings.  At the base of the angel is a large light that lights up the entire angel.