Hejjo Demkowicz/Neon5
Szopka Krakowska (Cracovian Nativity Scene)
A Christmas tradition originating from Kraków, Poland, "Szopki Krakowskie" involve recreating extravagant, colorful, and perhaps over-the-top detailed nativity scenes. The architecture is meant to resemble that of historical buildings in Kraków, taking a few creative liberties here and there, as well as swapping out the colors for more vibrant and cheerful ones.
The first such nativity scenes are believed to have evolved from "Jasełka", a sort of Christmas-themed play that was sometimes performed using puppets, using nativity scenes as a backdrop. Many puppets were created to resemble important historical figures as well as characters from polish folklore and legends, such as "Lajkonik", a Pole dressed in the clothes of a fallen Mongol leader after a failed invasion of Kraków.
The tradition dates back as far as the 18th century, and ever since Poland regained its independence in 1918, a Szopka presentation and tournament have taken place in Kraków annually. In 2018, the tradition was added to the UNESCO list of "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”
To close off the Christmas season (it ends on the 2nd of February, change my mind), I decided to build a Christmas related MOC that’s been on my list for a while. Having spent most of my life in Kraków and its surrounding villages, I’d often get the chance to see Szopki firsthand. Typically, these nativity scenes tend to be much larger and taller, but being pressed for time, I decided to set my sights a little lower. I'll also admit that I'm not accustomed to building... this sort of thing, so it was getting pretty tiring toward the end. Note to self - never again build MOCs from the top down. My previous failed attempts at creating one when I was 10 may have left a bad taste in my mouth, but I’m happy to say I’ve overcome that past trauma to make my very own nativity scene out of Lego :)
Szopka Krakowska (Cracovian Nativity Scene)
A Christmas tradition originating from Kraków, Poland, "Szopki Krakowskie" involve recreating extravagant, colorful, and perhaps over-the-top detailed nativity scenes. The architecture is meant to resemble that of historical buildings in Kraków, taking a few creative liberties here and there, as well as swapping out the colors for more vibrant and cheerful ones.
The first such nativity scenes are believed to have evolved from "Jasełka", a sort of Christmas-themed play that was sometimes performed using puppets, using nativity scenes as a backdrop. Many puppets were created to resemble important historical figures as well as characters from polish folklore and legends, such as "Lajkonik", a Pole dressed in the clothes of a fallen Mongol leader after a failed invasion of Kraków.
The tradition dates back as far as the 18th century, and ever since Poland regained its independence in 1918, a Szopka presentation and tournament have taken place in Kraków annually. In 2018, the tradition was added to the UNESCO list of "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”
To close off the Christmas season (it ends on the 2nd of February, change my mind), I decided to build a Christmas related MOC that’s been on my list for a while. Having spent most of my life in Kraków and its surrounding villages, I’d often get the chance to see Szopki firsthand. Typically, these nativity scenes tend to be much larger and taller, but being pressed for time, I decided to set my sights a little lower. I'll also admit that I'm not accustomed to building... this sort of thing, so it was getting pretty tiring toward the end. Note to self - never again build MOCs from the top down. My previous failed attempts at creating one when I was 10 may have left a bad taste in my mouth, but I’m happy to say I’ve overcome that past trauma to make my very own nativity scene out of Lego :)