Marshall resident Marilyn Leach talked about some of the unique things about the Nativity scenes she has collected from around the world. One scene had figures made from tagua, a type of nut that can be dried and used for carvings.

MARSHALL — It all started with two Nativity scenes, Marilyn Leach said. The wood carvings showing baby Jesus in the manger were gifts from her mother, and had connections to Israel and Switzerland, two places her parents had traveled.

Over more than 20 years, Leach’s collection of Nativity scenes has grown from two, to more than 140.

“I have three rooms full,” she said. There are figures from around the world, reflecting many different cultures. “I just love the fact that it’s so diverse,” Leach said.

This weekend, Leach will be sharing her collection, by holding an exhibit at her home in Marshall. People can come visit Friday, Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

The in-home exhibit is a Christmas tradition for Leach, that got put on pause for the past few years during the COVID pandemic.

“This is the first time I’ve been able to do it since before COVID,” she said of this weekend’s exhibit.

One of the things Leach enjoyed about collecting Nativity scenes was seeing the variety of ways people around the world have depicted the birth of Jesus.

“Traditional views of the Nativity are shaped by the cultures that created them,” Leach said. Different Nativity scenes in her collection have figures wearing different traditional clothes, or have details that reflect where they were made. A scene made in South America showed monkeys sitting on the roof of the stable where Mary, Joseph and Jesus were resting. A scene from the Philippines showed the three wise men bringing different gifts to Jesus than gold, frankincense and myrrh.

“They’re carrying mangoes, bananas and rice,” Leach said.

Other Nativity scenes in Leach’s collection had special meanings behind them. One set of Nativity figures were made out of metal from bullet casings. Leach said the figures were crafted by a young man in Liberia, after war in his country.

“He created this Nativity because he was trying to make peace out of war,” Leach said.

Other Nativity scenes in the exhibit were gifts to Leach from friends and family, or have connections to area residents. Some of the Nativity scenes on display come from past and present faculty at Southwest Minnesota State University. One Nativity scene, and a collection of angel figures, were made out of blown glass by the late Ed Carberry, who taught at the university. Leach said two other Nativity scenes in the exhibit are on loan from Jefferson Lee and Joan Gittens.

The diversity of the Nativity scenes, and the stories behind them, were part of what made them special, Leach said. It also reflected on Jesus’ message to love our neighbors, she said.

“Our neighbors are all over, and they’re different and see things differently,” Leach said. “I love being part of that.”

The Nativity exhibit will be held from 5-8 p.m. today and Saturday, and from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, at Leach’s home at 408 North Fifth Street. Free will donations for the Marshall Area Fine Arts Council will be accepted.