Bleach bottles, bread dough, and bean bags are some of the materials used to craft nativity scenes which will be displayed at the Sunday, Dec. 19, Christmas Concert hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 160 Washington Avenue, Plainview.

Ranging from fine art to folk art, traditional to original design, the nativity scenes will be displayed an hour prior to and an hour after the concert, which begins at 7 p.m.

The concert, "Come Let Us Praise Him," will feature a 75-voice choir, a brass choir, instrumentalists, and a children's choir. Talent for the concert has been recruited from all over Long Island. "We are honored to have the assistance from the St. Thomas of Canterbury Episcopal Choir, of Joseph Rella as our organist and Kurt Franck as director of the brass choir," said Janeel Smith, choir director. "The nativity display is a nice addition to the concert, reminding us of the humble origins of our Christmas traditions," Smith continued.

For some of the families who are displaying nativities, the handcrafting of a nativity every Christmas is part of their holiday celebration. "Constructing a nativity scene as a family has turned our hearts to the true meaning of Christmas and helped our children focus on the birth of Jesus Christ," said Donna Schwarting who will be displaying a quilted wall hanging of the nativity. "Much of the fabric sewn into our wall hanging has special meaning for us. For instance, Mary's dress was made from a small piece of the fabric that we used when our family made a quilt for Kosovo refugees last summer."

The tradition of displaying nativity scenes, or creches, dates back to the 13th century when Saint Francis of Assisi beckoned the local villagers of Greccio, Italy, to bring their animals and re-enact the Nativity. During the 17th century, families in Naples opened their homes each December to share beloved creches they had made and collected.

The community is invited to attend this annual event. Admission is free.