The traditional Nativity scene at the Santa Barbara Mission was scaled down this year, as volunteers who typically put the crèche together weren’t able to come together.
The holiday season this year looks like no other year before it.
However, Mission Santa Barbara is still hoping to spread Christmas cheer to those who need it in 2020, with dozens of wreaths, multiple Christmas trees, red and green lighting towers and 500 feet of garland.
Visitors or passersby may have noticed that the traditional Nativity scene at the Mission is scaled down.
The crèche is actually handled through the Santa Barbara Parish and separate from the Mission, according to Suzy Plott, the community development and marketing director at the Mission.
She said that the stripped down version is pandemic-related.
“The group of volunteers who normally put the crèche together were impacted this year because a lot of them either didn’t feel safe coming out and being around other people or were just quarantining,” Ms. Plott told the News-Press. “They normally have a pretty good group of volunteers and parishioners. Their normal group just wasn’t able to come together.”
Thus, the Mission staff decided to do what they could with what they had and held “Deck the Mission with Christmas Cheer.” Residents had the opportunity to donate and sponsor an ornament, wreath or Christmas tree as an individual/family or in honor of a loved one to help decorate the front of the Mission.
All proceeds went to support ongoing operations and preservation of the Mission.
Large wreaths and Christmas trees are completely sold out, and the wreaths are hanging out front along the Mission portico with tags listing the names of the sponsors or names of the individuals being honored or remembered.
The wooden sponsor ornaments are being hung on one of the Christmas trees out front.
“We really did go all out this year with our decorations,” Ms. Plott said. “The Mission is definitely decked to the nines. The fundraiser was a way to really deck the Mission out and spread some Christmas cheer.”
Wooden ornaments are still available for $25 and small wreaths with tags to write names for $50.
Contact development@sboldmisison.org with any questions, and make sure to drive past the Old Mission to bring about some Christmas spirit as the holiday approaches.
email: gmccormick@newspress.com
