Weird Nativity Scenes Depict Jesus' Birth With Hipsters, Zombies And Bacon

Jesus birth has inspired artists for centuries, prompting them to put their own spin on the tale in ways that arent always historically accurate.

But lately, some Nativity scenes are provoking both shock and awe depending on how you feel about the Christmas story being depicted in bacon, zombies or shotgun shells.

Christian author Mark Oestreicher first collected about a dozen of his favorite weird Nativity scenes on his blog, WhyIsMarko.com . Its since become a yearly tradition, and his collection has expanded to 70.

Check out some of the best ones below:

Hipster Nativity

ModernNativitycom

The Hipster Nativity may be this year's most viral Nativity scene. It shows Joseph and Mary taking selfies with Baby Jesus, a shepherd checking his social media accounts and the Three Wise Men on Segways delivering gifts from Amazon.com. Yes, the cow is organic.

Zombie Nativity

Courtesy of Etsy.com/Fetishforethics

When you see a Nativity scene featuring zombies, you can only wonder if it's taking place in "Deathlehem."

Rubber Duckie Nativity

Courtesy of WhyIsMarko.com

Oestreicher used to be bothered when he would see Nativity scenes depicting Jesus, Mary and Joseph as rubber ducks, but now he looks at products like these as "whimsical attempts for people to engage in a mystery."

Meat Nativity

flickr: Greg Chow

This depiction of the birth of Jesus "meats" all of Oestreicher's criteria for an offbeat Nativity -- and has the added bonus of being able to feed peoples' stomachs and their souls at the same time.

Nativity Cupcake Toppers

Courtesy of Eetsy.com/Frostedinsanity

At first, Oestreicher was taken aback by the use of obviously commercial products, such as these cupcake toppers, even though they "weren't morally wrong." But he has learned to enjoy them.

Mermaid Nativity

Flickr: Teyacapan

Oestreicher loves the craft that went behind this Nativity scene, even though he finds the concept fishy.

Spam Nativity

Courtesy of WhyIsMarko.com

This depiction of the Bethlehem manger in Spam is surely made for Monty Python fans.

Snow Globe Nativity

Courtesy of WhyIsMarko.com

Oestreicher is particularly amused by this snow globe Nativity, mainly because of the way Mary and Joseph are looking at their child through a fishbowl.

S'mores Nativity

Courtesy of WhyIsMarko.com

Oestreicher believes this Nativity, which depicts Jesus and family as s'mores, is perhaps the worst Nativity set he's seen.

Shotgun Shell Nativity

Etsy.com/mammasfavorite

If there is a person in your life whose favorite religious ditty is "Praise The Lord And Pass The Ammunition," this Nativity made from shotgun shells is sure to hit the bull's-eye.

Soap Nativity

Etsy.com/RobinMoore1966

Oestreicher's annual blog post of weird Nativity scenes has become so big that some people send him photos of their work in hopes of inclusion, such as this soap Nativity.

Tampon Nativity

TamponCrafts.com

Oestreicher initially worried about including this Nativity scene that uses tampons, but decided to go ahead since it comes from a legitimate craft website that just happens to be dedicated to using tampons.

Moose Nativity

ChristmasInPrescott.com

Oestreicher admits that he's not a fan of animal Nativity scenes, because they lack creativity.

Frog Nativity

Photobucket.com/Goalie4Hire

This frog Nativity is "ribbeting."

Meerkat Nativity

TheLMagazine.com

This meerkat Nativity says "Merry Christmas" and "Hakuna Matata" at the same time.

Color Nativity

BuySebastianBergne.com

This Nativity scene, using only color blocks, is Oestreicher's current favorite, as it shows that the Nativity is so iconic that it's possible to look at these abstract shapes and still tell what it's depicting immediately.

Halloween Nativity

Bimey.com

Because some Christians are anti-Halloween, Oestreicher wasn't sure about the intent of the people who made this Nativity scene. But after discussions with the creators, he decided it was not malicious, just fun.

Chocolate Nativity

JazzyGourmet.com

Oestreicher jokes that the religious act of eating the body of Christ takes on new dimensions when he's made of chocolate.

Fondant Nativity

Etsy.com

There's only one word for these yummy-looking Nativity characters: Relicious!

Gingerbread Yard Art Nativity

Ebay.com

Celebrate two important holiday signifiers -- the Nativity and gingerbread men -- by combining them into big lawn ornaments.

Monkey Nativity

Etsy.com

This depiction of the Nativity featuring monkeys may cause a lot of discussion over the theory of evolution.

Nativity Puzzle Erasers

Word.com.au

A Nativity-themed puzzle eraser set may seem bizarre, but Oestreicher points out that Christians believe Jesus came to Earth to erase people's sins.

Nesting Dolls Nativity

Oriental Trading Company

Nativity nesting dolls are fairly common, but Oestreicher likes this particular set because the tiny sheep fits inside Baby Jesus.

Father Santa Nativity

Courtesy of Mark Oestreicher

Santa is a popular fixture in many Nativities, but Oestreicher said this one of Kris Kringle holding Baby Jesus moments after his birth takes things to a different level altogether.

Nativity Inside Frog Stomach

Frogstore.com

Oestreicher says this frog belly Nativity is "one of the strangest and most disorienting Nativities on the whole list."

Frankenstein Nativity

Facecebook

Christmas is great, Frankenstein movies are great, but that doesn't mean Frankenstein should be made into a Nativity scene.

Minimalist Nativity

emilievoirin.com

There is something to be said for simplicity, even with Nativity scenes -- as this minimalist set of blocks with descriptive names demonstrates.

Radish Nativity

Christy Hemphill

People all over the world make Nativities out of what they have handy. In Oaxaca City, Mexico, locals carve Nativities out of radishes because Dec. 23 is celebrated as "Radish Night."

Bethlehemian Rhapsody

YouTube.com

It's not a Nativity scene per se, but Oestreicher is fond of this remake of "Bohemian Rhapsody," with lyrics changed to reflect the Christmas story.

Woodland Creatures Nativity

Courtesy of Mark Oestreicher

Oestreicher said this woodland Nativity was displayed at a store in North Carolina. He likes it, but said "the Santa in the background sorta ticked me off. Go away, Santa, back to your freaking chimney."

Negativity Nativity

http://negativityscenecom/

Some people are in a bad mood even during joyous occasions. For them, there is the Negativity Nativity , a gift for those people who say "Bah Humbug!" 365 days a year.

Gnome Nativity

Oriental Trading Company

A Nativity scene featuring gnomes isn't for everyone, but some people get in the hobbit.

Road Trip Nativity

Courtesy of Mark Oestreicher

Anyone who travels during the holiday can appreciate this Nativity scene showing Jesus, Mary and Joseph heading out on the open road with the Three Wise Men. Hope there's enough gold to pay the tolls.

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