So Much to Learn

My wife and I both did our university studies at Lund – a small town with Sweden’s most beautiful cathedral. In there, during Advent, they build up their Christmas crib in an elaborate new way every year. That is quite an exception in a Protestant country where cribs tend to be aimed only for children and, honestly, very uninspired.



Here in Catholic Catalonia things are different. To house the biggest crib of Vilanova the local crib builders’ association erects a special building on Plaça de la Vila. This year they have created a mountainous landscape with real water in a little stream. Already before looking into it, my oldest son told me that there would be one oxen and one mule, not more nor less. That is apparently common knowledge. People like I, who thought that the holy family was the only critical detail, obviously have a thing or two to learn.