Where do Dubliners... buy NATIVITY SETS for Christmas?

It's the time of the year and it's also the children at home, who are already talking about Christmas all the time...and also the memories of Christmas back in Spain, when I was a child. These mixed feelings have made me decide to get a nativity set this year But where do Dubliners buy nativity sets????

A couple of weeks ago, when I took this decision, I also started my research: Google search, magazines, asking local people... and the info I started getting made me ask myself a second question: but, Laura: what type of nativity set are you looking for?

Good question, isn't it? and I had not thought about it at the beginning...OK, let's go step by step:

1st question: Do I want it INDOORS or OUTDOORS?

• If I want it outdoors, there are some specialised stores that offer a wide range of Christmas decorations, including nativity sets of very different sizes. A great example: Beech Vista M50 Christmas Shop - according to their web, it's Ireland's largest Christmas shop, and for what I saw last weekend, it may be true. You can find all kinds of decorations there, including, of course, outdoors nativity sets. I also found some reasonably priced outdoors nativity sets, at Amazon.co.uk : quite nice, according to the picture in Amazon, and given the weather in the last days, buying online has become a great idea!

• But I'll go for the second option: I want an INDOORS nativity set. Wooooow, everything is decided now....or not? If I want an indoors one, then here comes another question:

2nd question: will I allow my children play with it or will it be something for them to look at but NOT to play with?

• If it'll only be something to look at, a good place to visit is Tierneys @ the ILAC center, Blanchardstown or Dunlaoghaire. I also liked the choice at House of Ireland, and at Kilkenny, both on Nassau Street. Looking for nativity sets, I heard for the first time about Belleek pottery, sold in different stores in the country: I wanted to mention it here, because I loved their products (their nativity sets too!). Unfortunately, I can't even think of buying one of those until, at least 2020, because of the little monsters I have at home, so I'll go for the second option

• I'll get one nativity set that's more or less unbreakable and that my children can play with any time they want without me having a heart attack if I see them touching a figurine. In this section, my favourite is - without any doubts the Playmobil Nativity scene that I found at Amazon.co.uk. Isn't it fantastic? You can also buy the three wise men, and you'll get a complete nativity set which is also a toy for the kids. What a great idea by Playmobil, don't you think?

• The Fisher Price Little People nativity set is also very popular, specially in US, for what I've read in different forums: same concept, different type of figurines, but also fantastic for the younger ones of the family. I also found it at Amazon.co.uk.

Maybe you do not know exactly what you want, and you'd like to see/touch before you buy, then there are at least a couple of places in Dublin that you should visit:

VERITAS, at 7-8 Lower Abbey Street, Dublin 1, where you'll find a magnificent range of Christmas decorations and nativity sets that will suit all budgets

and

Any Oxfam Ireland shop (you can find a store locator in their web). Most of the nativity sets that you'll see here are handmade and incredibly cheap... and don't forget they're fair trade shops.

OK, now I have a clear idea of what I want to buy...and what about you?