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Wow - this incredible mechanical nativity scene located in Třebechovice pod Orebem in the Czech Republic is on my list of places I would LOVE to visit. Known as Probošt's mechanical Christmas crib, this stunning nativity was declared a cultural monument of the Czech Republic in 1999.  Here is a video you can watch of the nativity in action. It's truly amazing! It took over 40 years to create this carved wooden nativity display which includes more than 2000 carve …

Orthodox Christians in Ukraine (and around the world) celebrate Easter Sunday today, April 19th. What are the traditions of the Orthodox Easter celebration in Ukraine? Many churches hold an overnight church service leading into Easter Sunday, however Orthodox churches have no seats so most families with small children attend a sunrise service on Easter Sunday. Paska (sweet egg bread) and krashanky (dyed Easter eggs) are Ukrainian Easter traditions that are often practiced here in the US as …

Did you know that Jordan has some of the oldest Christian communities in the world? Officially known at the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and located in western Asia, Jordan has been home to Christian populations since the 1st century AD. Over a quarter of a million Christian live in Jordan, the majority of whom are members of the Eastern Orthodox Church.Jordan is part of the Holy Land and is home to many biblical sites - Al-Maghtas on the East Bank of the Jordan river where Jesus was baptized by …

Every December 24th in Ecuador's capital city of Quito, a huge parade is held to celebrate the coming of the infant Jesus. Religious themed parade floats, music and dancing travel throughout the town of Quito, and ultimately end at the Catedral de la Inmaculada for Christmas church services.  The star of the parade is, of course, the infant Jesus. A statue of the Christ child called  Niño Viajero or the Child Traveler is the focus of the procession.  Here is …

What is the Christmas season like in Sweden? How do the people of Sweden celebrate this wonderful time of year? In Sweden, the season begins on the first Sunday in Advent with the lighting of an Advent candle.Similar to the tradition in other countries, an additional candle is lit each Sunday to mark the weeks until Christmas. Our Swedish nativity scene shown above holds four taper candles - a sleek and joyous Scandinavian design for Advent! On December 13th, Sweden honors …