Church | XI-XIX | Romanesque, Gothic | Catholic Church
At Christmas time, you can admire a unique nativity scene in Velzeke church. Besides Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus, the shepherds and the three kings, you will see dozens more figures: people, animals, angels... They are beautiful wax figurines with unique facial expressions. The animals are made entirely of wax. The people have wax heads and hands. The clothes are made of fine fabrics, sometimes worked with gold thread. Furthermore, the figures carry all kinds of small attributes. The statues find shelter in a beautiful stable constructed with equal attention to detail.
The longer you look at the stable, the more you are surprised by the precision and patience of Velzeken artist Johan Blondeel, who created this atmospheric Christmas scene. For six years, Johan, now a retired plastic education teacher, worked on it. He completed the nativity scene in 1986. For years, the stable was set up every Christmas time in his own living room where friends and acquaintances could admire it. In 2017, Johan donated his nativity scene to the church of Velzeke. This way, everyone can enjoy and get quiet during the Christmas period with this beautiful work of art.