Archive for December 2009

Great Sand Nativity in Lignano Sabbiadoro

If you wish to see a very special Christmas crib, you must visit the Great Sand Nativity in Lignano.

On the square in front of Terrazza a Mare, visitors can admire an entire Christmas crib made of sand, with a lot of figures, animals and houses, every day from December the 6th to January the 6th.

In Lignano Sabbiadoro, from several years, artists of the Sand Academy in Rome, make the Nativity scene using the same sand where in the summer season children play and tourists lie in the sun. In about twenty days, under a covered structure in front of Terrazza a Mare, artists work more than 180 cubic meters of sand with different techniques to realize the sculptures of the crib, that has always a different subject.

Every year the Nativity is in a particular scenario, surrounded by the figures that live in this world and by important personalities of the history of Lignano. The same scene of the Nativity is presented each time in a different way: it can be the heart of the scene or it may be part of the scenario, and so be a natural element among the different characters.
The Great Sand Nativity offers children the chance to have fun, discovering sand animals that artists hidden inside the scene.

In the covered structure, pictures and films show the moments of the production of sculptures and also the used techniques, while a little area offers visitors the chance to buy calendars, postcards and bookmarks of the Great Sand Nativity Scene, as a reminder of the Christmas time in Lignano.

And to combat the cold, there is hot chocolate and mulled wine offered by the non-profit association Lignano in Fiore, organizer of the Sand Nativity and many other events throughout the year in the Friulian beach. The aim of this association is to realize projects for poor children in the region and in different countries of the world with the collected offerings.

In addition to the Great San Nativity in city centre, another very important meeting point is the Nativity scene in Lignano Pineta, few meters from the entrance of the seaside resort. For many years there is here an outdoor Nativity, more simple than that of sand, but also beautiful and full of love, because it is made by people who live in that area.

For residents of Lignano Pineta and Riviera, this is the meeting point during the Christmas time to drink some glass of mulled wine or prosecco and to taste special dishes.

Other Christmas cribs are located in the churches of Lignano Sabbiadoro and Pineta and also these are made by volunteers and children of the schools. Children have also the chance to contribute to the realization of an original Nativity scene, the “Crib in motion”. During the Christmas time children can bring a statue of the crib and choose where to place it. In this way, thanks to the continuing contribution of the children, the crib is always “moving”, with new figures.

Despite shops and hotels in Lignano are closed and the beach has no beach umbrellas, the city offers also during the Christmas time the chance to spend very special days, discovering small masterpieces.

Visit Lignano in this period, and Merry Christmas!