A Shining star

t used to be that you could see the star of Bethlehem from across the Beltzville Lake.

To be clear, it wasn’t the actual star of Bethlehem. Rather, it was the top piece to Tom and Anne Jenkins’ Nativity display in Trachsville. These days, the trees have grown tall enough to eclipse the light, but rest assured, the Nativity remains, as it has for about a quarter century.

Each year, right around Thanksgiving weekend — usually coinciding with the start of Advent — the Jenkins bring out the cutouts, lights, and decorations, and set to work. The display generally stays up until the Epiphany on Jan. 6. The whole setup requires quite a bit of work and maintenance, but Tom and Anne are dedicated to the task.

The Jenkinses started the depiction of the biblical scene decades ago, but on a smaller scale than what you see today. In the late 80s, Anne had wanted to set up a Nativity set in the yard, so she and Tom, a former custom furniture maker by trade, ordered some templates, built the scene, and set it up in the front yard of their home on Stable Road in Towamensing Township. It was comparatively minimal in the beginning, featuring just a few characters and no roof.

“We started small, with Mary, Joseph and Jesus,” Tom said. “It grew from there, and we added the shepherds, the animals and so on.”

Unfortunately, being out in the open, the display was subject to some strong winds that blew it up onto the roof of the Jenkins’ home.

This led to Tom building an A-frame setup, a more sturdy display that could hold its ground. Angels and animals joined the crowd, filling out the scene.

Eventually, though, a replacement was needed, and the Jenkinses went ahead and put together their current incarnation, which has lasted the longest.

“It changes somewhat, year to year, not dramatically, just minor things,” Tom said, pointing out that they don’t add any new figures these days, but they do make some adjustments with new lights and other details.

This year, Tom mounted a pair of angels on either side of the crèche, giving them the appearance of floating over the holy display.

The Nativity has become such a well-known attraction over the years that it has built up its own fan base, with some people driving over an hour to check it out.

“We had two years where we didn’t put it up, and people asked ‘Why?’ They thought we moved,” Tom said. “It’s become the kind of thing where we have to put it up, no ifs, ands or buts.”

The Jenkinses aren’t looking to dominate a neighborhood light fight though. Rather, they just want to remind everyone what really matters in the holiday season, and it’s a tradition they intend to keep for the foreseeable future.

“It’s basically meant to be a reminder that Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ, not the shopping,” Tom said.

“It’s a joy to hear people comment about it. We’re going to keep putting it up as long as we live here.”