ADVENT CALENDAR 2022

" " — Nativity made from corn husk, wool, and other natural materials in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil in the late 1980s. Glencairn Museum collection, Bryn Athyn, PA. To view a zoomable version of this Nativity on Google Arts & Culture, click on the image.

12. GAUCHO NATIVITY FROM BRAZIL

Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state in Brazil, has extensive pampas (grassy plains). The area has a rich gaucho culture. (The Spanish term “gaucho” is somewhat equivalent to the English word “cowboy.”) This Nativity features gaucho figures, the Adoration of the Wise Men, and the Flight into Egypt. The gaucho on horseback is spinning a lariat, used to capture livestock. Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus are in the center of the main scene. Joseph is holding a container of mate, a South American herbal tea sucked from a gourd with a metal straw.

Each of the wise men is bringing a gift that is appropriate to gaucho culture. The wise man on the right side of the scene is bringing wool; the one beside him is offering mate; and the one to the left of the family is holding a wild turkey.

Gift of Alan and Mary Liz Pomeroy

Visit us at Follow the Star: A 2022 Advent Calendar.