ADVENT CALENDAR 2025

December 25

BRYN ATHYN NATIVITY

Setting by Navidad Nativities
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Wood, stone, and other natural materials
Figures in wood and fabric by Original Heide, Val Gardena, Italy
2015 

Bryn Athyn Nativity honors the architectural legacy of Raymond Pitcairn, who supervised the design and construction of both Bryn Athyn Cathedral and Glencairn, and also his particular love for the story of the Nativity and the celebration of Christmas.  Pitcairn’s artistic vision and attention to detail in the construction of both buildings was the inspiration for this tribute in miniature.  

Michael Joseph Stumpf and A.J. DiAntonio of Navidad Nativities created the architectural setting in wood, stone, and other natural materials in their Bucks County, Pennsylvania workshop. The Renaissance-style Nativity figures belong to the Immanuel Collection, made by Original Heide, a family business in Val Gardena, a valley in the Italian Alps. All of the figures were hand carved in wood. The drapery of the clothing was stiffened and painted with acrylic paints.  

Drawing from their favorite elements in each of the buildings, the artists developed a design that represents their own interpretation of the historical and architectural relationship between Bryn Athyn Cathedral and Glencairn. The lavender glow surrounding the Holy Family duplicates the light in the sanctuary of the actual Cathedral, produced when the sun streams through the red and blue glass in the side windows. Glencairn’s Upper Hall is reproduced on the right-hand side of this Nativity. 

Glencairn Museum’s World Nativities exhibition runs from November 28, 2025, to January 25, 2026. Visit us at Follow the Star: A 2025 Advent Calendar.