Of the thousands — yes, thousands — of nativity figurines and collections in Holly Zenger’s home, there’s one that has been her favorite since she acquired it. When asked if she had a favorite, she confirmed she did, but that it was an unconventional choice. “It’s very ugly,” she said. The piece is from Alaska, and it’s made of beaver skin. Rather than a full nativity scene complete with a manger and wise men, Holly’s nativity sculpture of choice depicts Joseph with an arm around Mary, who is cradling baby Jesus. The piece is about a foot tall and features a great deal of detail, from the delicate hand-sewn stitching on Mary’s dress hem to her ivory teeth and the tanned beaver skin used to form the trio. Joseph wears a dark brown cloth robe, while Mary dons a royal blue cotton dress and sky blue hood. Baby Jesus is swaddled in white with just his beaver skin face and painted facial features peeking out from the fabric. Holly Zenger’s favorite piece in the collection is a unique piece from Alaska that is comprised of a Mary, Joseph and Jesus made from tanned beaver skin. Credit: Clayton Steward/Park Record“We had 30 kids from a school come yesterday and somebody asked, ‘Why do you like that?’” Holly said. “’She’s not very cute.’” From Mary’s mukluk boots to Joseph’s fluffy facial hair and their expressions, Holly described the scene as truly artistic. But that could be said for every scene in the Zenger household. For 37 years, Holly and her husband, Jack, have been showing their massive collection of nativities in their household. They call it Zenger and Friends, a Nativity Experience. And “experience” is putting it lightly.From the first step into the Zenger foyer and through each of the eight rooms organized by exhibit with different curators and themes, it’s clear the Zengers dedicate an overwhelming amount of care and time to displaying their collection. With accompanying red and green decor, bells, bows, wreaths, Christmas trees and lights, the exhibit is exactly what a holiday-lover would seek out. Even though it’s in Midway City’s backyard, the Zengers receive visitors from all over the country. Last year, Jack said they hosted more than 4,000 guests. On a tour of the exhibit, Jack and Holly took the time to greet each guest, asking where they were from and how they were liking the experience. Jack and Holly Zenger Credit: Clayton Steward/Park RecordOne visitor, Dustin Higginson, came with his family from Provo. Dustin, his wife, Joy, and their two daughters, Myra and Maggie, said the Zenger and Friends exhibit is a favorite Christmastime experience. Both Holly and Jack said the exhibit is no small feat to put on. They have been married for 45 years, and started collecting nativities shortly after that. Holly’s first exhibit took place in Palo Alto, California, before the pair moved to Utah. Her first-ever piece is somewhat small and features three wise men, some animals, an angel, a shepherd, plus Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. Holly bought it for $15 and spray-painted it gold shortly after. For Holly, the scene represents a humble start to what would one day become an extremely diverse collection. As a well-traveled couple, Holly and Jack have been to about half of the 90 countries represented in their collection.There’s a glass-blown depiction of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus by an Italian sculptor, a scene made of banana leaf fiber from Kenya; a bark and hemp scene from Tonga; a hand-beaded piece from the Native American Zuni tribe; and a lacquered newspaper collection of biblical figures handmade in India during the COVID-19 pandemic. The nativity scene that started the collection for Holly Zenger is still on display, with a note explaining that the pieces got a coat of gold spray paint during a “gold phase”. Credit: Clayton Steward/Park RecordThe list goes on. “And then this is from Slovakia,” Holly said, pointing to a specific scene. “And here is Bangladesh, Nepal, and Cuba and Fiji.” Both Holly and Jack said obtaining a diverse collection was of the utmost importance. According to Jack, the pair wanted as many countries and ideals represented as possible. A few unconventional scenes feature figures made of pinto beans and another displaying the “millennial” nativity with solar panels on the manger, Joseph taking a selfie with baby Jesus, and a wise man skateboarding. “Holly heard about this one from one of her friends and they said, ‘You really need to have this,’” Jack said. While the Zengers themselves have purchased and acquired a good deal of their vast collection, they have also received some as gifts and donations from friends, relatives, and collaborating artists. Of their entire collection, Jack said he is particularly proud of their commemoration for Día de los Muertos. “This belief is that there are three deaths: When the spirit leaves the body, when the body is buried, and then when people forget you,” Jack said. “So it happens that Holly’s brother, a couple of months ago, passed away very unexpectedly … and so they had this idea of doing this Day of the Dead commemoration.”The colorful commemoration is displayed front and center when visitors descend the stairs to the lower level of the household, and it features handmade pieces of art from Mexico. Jack Zenger points out specific nativity scenes while giving a tour of the collection. Credit: Clayton Steward/Park RecordThe Zenger family is not a small one, and not only because it is a blended family. Jack and Holly married into their second union with more than a few children apiece, and now they have 37 grandchildren. That’s not counting the great-grandchildren. But Holly doesn’t like to paint herself as an old great-grandmother. Holly said she likes to send the kids on a mission to find different scenes and figures in one room, which is dedicated to Fontanini sets. In that exhibit, the figures are a few inches tall with a monotone beige color scheme and made of hard rubber.“So the kids can chew on them and throw them,” Holly said. “I’ve never seen one that broke.” Holly said that the thousand or so figures — including shepherds, mangers, animals, Roman soldiers, angels and biblical references — were previously displayed on one massive table. Now the Zengers arranged it all so visitors can walk around an entire room and center island to see all of the parts of the villages and nativity scenes. The Fontanini sets are comprised of over 1,000 figures and took 18-years to collect. Credit: Clayton Steward/Park RecordThe Zengers said about 15 or so individuals come to help them set up and organize the Zenger and Friends experience every year. When the Zengers built their Midway home, they made sure to design an attic large enough to house every nativity scene, sculpture and figurine. Each Christmas, the art is moved from the attic to the main house for their community and beyond to enjoy. When asked about the future for her nativity exhibit, Holly said that, after 37 years, she has no plan. “Her not dying is a big plan,” Jack said. Zengers said that they will continue to put on the nativity exhibit as long as they are able. While the Zenger and Friends exhibit was advertised to end on Sunday, Holly and Jack are extending the experience to be open until Dec. 29. Admission is free to the public, and visitors can explore the Zenger’s nativities from 1 to 7 p.m. at 8 Altamont Drive in Midway.Credit: Clayton Steward/Park RecordCredit: Clayton Steward/Park RecordCredit: Clayton Steward/Park RecordThe post Zenger and Friends puts on an idyllic holiday experience appeared first on Park Record.