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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to be a bit cross about the Playmobil Nativity set?

66 replies

Clawdy · 30/11/2011 22:14

Have just bought it,and really like it,sure DCs will too. But surely it should include the Three Kings? Apparently they have to be bought separately! Just not on.

OP posts:

DeWe · 01/12/2011 10:36

Ours did have them. But it's an old set.

thisisyesterday · 01/12/2011 10:40

no yanbu

doesn't matter if they turned up 2 years late does it, I doubt any nativity set is historically accurate :-S

but a nativity set generally includes the 3 wise men, you would expect it to. I've never seen a set without it.
and if the picture includes them then you are definitely not unreasonable.

why would they NOT include them? it's silly

porcamiseria · 01/12/2011 10:42

yabu, its Jospeph, Mary Jesus and the sheep and donkey!!!!!

CinnamonStar · 01/12/2011 11:03

I agree it is annoying having to buy the 3 wise men as another set. And when you DO buy them, then there is only one camel! Surely they should have one each!

Our wise men aren't in the stable yet though, they are in our bedroom just starting out on their long journey, with their long-suffering single camel.

Actually Mary and Joseph haven't arrived at the stable either yet, they are on their way with the donkey and the stable has just the shepherd and animals in. Although DD1 has thoughtfully set up a playmobil cot and sporty 3 wheeler buggy in the stable in anticipation of the birth of the King of all Kings

BleughCowWonders · 01/12/2011 11:06

Our playmobil nativity is a stable complete with all the animals and food for them. And an angel, and horse with reins and a saddle.

And on 24th, you get Father Christmas

WTAF · 01/12/2011 11:29

SnowMuchToBits That is genius! Am giggling like a maniac at the thought.

OP, I would not have thought you were being unreasonable either but it sounds as though you are! Who knew. I thought they turned up in the stable but then I never listened in RE

JustifiedAncientOfMuMu · 01/12/2011 11:51

DD is MOST upset that Playmobil Mary can't sit on the Playmobil donkey. Big design fault IMO

Question for theologians: Why were Mary and Joseph still in Bethlehem 2 years later. I thought thy just nipped there to sign the census or whatever. Why hadn't they gone back to Nazereth?

Original poster

Clawdy · 01/12/2011 11:56

Thanks for the replies,love 'em! ours is plastic stable with cardboard backdrop. Yes,I knew the Kings arrived later,but they always appear in infant nativity plays! And they'll look a bit odd standing on their own with that solitary camel on our coffeetable in January....Have to say you would expect a camel each for nearly £15 a set!

OP posts:

Kladdkaka · 01/12/2011 12:52

Question for theologians: Why were Mary and Joseph still in Bethlehem 2 years later. I thought thy just nipped there to sign the census or whatever. Why hadn't they gone back to Nazereth?

Air traffic control were on strike.

Kladdkaka · 01/12/2011 13:22

But seriously, the bible doesn't actually say that Mary and Jesus were in Bethlehem when the wise men arrived. They were more likely back home in Nazareth. The bible does say that Herod sent them to Bethlehem (as this is where his advisors said the child was born) but it also says that the star appeared to them again and led them to 'where the child was'. It does not say it led them to Bethlehem.

It also says that after visiting the child they left by another route because they had been warned in a dream not to do what Herod asked ie return to Jerusalem. So somewhere between Herod's and the child's they stopped for the night and slept (in order to dream). Bethlehem was a couple of hours travel from Jerusalem, so they wouldn't have stopped along the way. Nazareth was a couple of days travel, so they would have stopped.

Elsewhere in the bible (Luke perhaps?) it says that Jesus was presented in the temple at 40ish days and the family then returned to their home in Galilee. So in all likelihood this was on route from Bethlehem to Nazareth.

CinnamonStar · 01/12/2011 13:29

DD's Ladybird book of the Nativity was obviously written and illustrated by a Biblical scholar, because it does depict the Magi coming to visit the Holy family in a house, not in the stable. And Jesus is shown as a toddler. (DD1 was v confused - "who's that?" "why isn't he a baby any more?" "Will DD2 (5 months) turn into a big girl at Christmas too?")

OhdearNigel · 01/12/2011 13:30

So how far from the stable would the playmobil men have to be for them to take two years to walk ?
Surely someone here is clever enough to work that out ??? I MUST KNOW !!!

belgo · 01/12/2011 13:33

I thought you were going to criticise the actual playmobil.

Can't wait to get our one out, with the three kings and camel.

NorfolkNChance · 01/12/2011 13:44

You need to measure their stride length then calculate the ratios of human steps to Playmobil steps. Factor in length of journey (weeriness, hot conditions etc) to work out the average speed. Say 10 hours walking max per day. This is of course assuming they were on foot and not on camels...

Ok that makes my brain hurt!

CinnamonStar · 01/12/2011 13:50

Remember they had to walk at night so they could see the star...

laurenamium · 01/12/2011 13:50

this thread has made my day!!

NorfolkNChance · 01/12/2011 13:52

Good point CinnamonStar, visibility would have been poor (even with the huge fuck off star in the sky) so travel time will need to be reduced per day (night)

sarahfreck · 01/12/2011 13:54

Question for theologians: Why were Mary and Joseph still in Bethlehem 2 years later. I thought thy just nipped there to sign the census or whatever. Why hadn't they gone back to Nazereth?

It is possible that Nazareth had got a bit dangerous for them. After all most people would think of Mary as an unmarried single mum and in Biblical times that could be punished by stoning. They might also not believe Joseph's assertions that he had nothing to do with it.

Have you also wondered why Joseph took a heavily pregnant Mary with him on a 70 mile journey for the census? After all I think it would only have been the men who would have been required to register. A woman's testimony wasn't even permitted in a court of law at the time!

I think that perhaps Mary would have been far too vulnerable to have been left alone in Nazareth. She would at the very least been subject vicious verbal attacks and may well have been in physical danger. There may have been no safe option other than for her to go with Joseph.

Kladdkaka · 01/12/2011 13:58

Well average walking speed is 2.8 mph. Assuming they walked an 8 hour working day, that's 22.4 miles per day. 2 years is 730 days. A day off for packing leaves 729 days. Actual distance covered is 16,352 miles. The tropic of cancer is approx 23,000 miles long. The arctic circle is approx 10,000 miles long. And Nazareth is sort of mid way between these 2 points. Therefore I deduce that the wise men in fact lived in the house next door to the stable and really need to invest in a better sat nav.

So playmobil wise men can be by the stable but facing the wrong direction and looking confused.

NorfolkNChance · 01/12/2011 13:59

Best quote today:

Therefore I deduce that the wise men in fact lived in the house next door to the stable and really need to invest in a better sat nav.

Kladdkaka · 01/12/2011 14:00

Damn. Didn't factor in the night-time walking ...

SnowMuchToBits · 04/12/2011 00:26

I think our Playmobil wise men took turns on the camel.......

Maybe we should order another couple of camels a spare parts..........

We had noted the donkey problem though - and the corresponding camel problem. All the people who are supposed to ride on donkeys/camels have either long dresses or long robes/cloaks which prevent them from doing so. Never mind, NormanTheForeman has hitched a ride on our camel, so it has not been wasted!

FairPhyllis · 05/12/2011 09:55

Question for theologians: Why were Mary and Joseph still in Bethlehem 2 years later. I thought thy just nipped there to sign the census or whatever. Why hadn't they gone back to Nazereth?

Luke is the only gospel that says Mary and Joseph were originally from Nazareth and travelled to Bethlehem for a census. Matthew just says that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and then has the family settling in Nazareth after they returned from Egypt. Matthew doesn't say anything about a stable or shepherds either - those are only in Luke.

The way I would read that is that they were originally from Bethlehem, left for Egypt during Herod's persecution and when they returned decided to go to Galilee instead of Judea (where Bethlehem is) because a) people in Judea might realise Jesus had escaped the massacre b) if they didn't know anyone in Galilee they would escape the stigma of Mary having been pregnant out of wedlock.

The account in Luke could come from a source for Luke knowing that Jesus grew up in Nazareth but was born in Bethlehem, trying to reconcile the two, and deciding the most plausible story was that Joseph had travelled down for the census, but getting it wrong. This would explain why the date of the census doesn't fit - it was in 6AD, whereas Jesus must have been born before Herod's death in 4BC.

MillyR · 05/12/2011 10:14

My parents had wise men figures out at Christmas, but put in a different part of the room. They were not allowed near the Holy Family until Epiphany.

In fact my mum now has a nativity set in the garden, and the wise men are placed at the other end of the garden.

Original poster

Clawdy · 05/12/2011 10:21

But, MillyR surely the day after Epiphany the whole set is put away for another year? They hardly see the baby!

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