This 1950 Greek fatni spoke to me from a store window…

What is it, exactly, about these paper constructions that so enchant us?

Known as nativities, crèches, cribs, mangers, papierkrippe, belén, or fátnes, to enthusiasts they really mean only one thing: a beautiful depiction of The Nativity that captivates the heart.

Créchemania.com is devoted to the art of transorming that most pedestrian of media — paper — into an an object of beauty imbued by a timeless message.

But Crèchemania.com is so much more than that. It’s a community of afficionados that spans the globe. A wonderful group of generous nativity collectors who share their favorite crèches in Crèchemania’s Downloads pages. It’s the magic carpet of my Blog that takes you to St. Petersburg, to admire a masterpiece of The Nativity; to Sioux City, Iowa, to be enthralled by the stained glass windows of the Cathedral of the Epiphany; nativity hunting in Berlin’s Gemaldegallerie or New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art; priceless icons of The Nativity of the Byzantine and Western traditions; videos and music of the of Nativity that are sure to capture your heart…

But, perhaps, most important of all, Crèchemania.com is all about you, who are about to discover the paper nativity and the joy of creating with your hands…

It’s all here, especially for you. Just click one of the links at left — and begin a remarkable journey through the Crèchemania Universe!

— Alexis

P.S. We’d love to hear from you: whether you’d just like to say, “Hello,” or share a nativity with all of your new friends, just click Contact Us (top of page). I’m very much looking forward to hearing from you!