The world's largest Nativity scene is in Spain

A figure of Joseph that is over 18 metres high is a striking sight in Alicante's city hall square. Beside it is the figure of the Virgin Mary, seated at ten metres high . Between them is the baby Jesus, a newborn infant measuring 3.32 metres. This is the world's largest nativity scene, certified by the Guinness Book of World Records since 2020, and it is now open to the the public.

Alongside them are the Three Wise Men , also of different heights: Melchior reaches 11 metres when kneeling, Gaspar stands 15.6 metres tall and Balthasar is slightly taller at 16 metres. They joined the Nativity scene in Christmas 2023.

All the figures in this monumental nativity scene are original works by professional artist José María García, better known as 'Pachi', whose style is based on the Alicante modernism of the early 20th century. The assembly process took three days and Balthazar was the first to be completed, followed by Joseph, the Virgin Mary, Gaspar, Melchior and the baby Jesus.

The Virgin Mary, decorated in blue, white and gold tones, kneels as she gazes at her son, who lies in a manger at the centre of the scene, swaddled in warm clothing. Saint Joseph is dressed in a palette of earthy colours similar to Hebrew garments of the period.

Made from self-extinguishing, expanded polystyrene, an ideal material for working with bulky objects while keeping the weight down, each figure is coated with a fire-retardant chemical substance that protects them from inclement weather, physical knocks and bumps and vandalism.

The internal structure is made of iron tubing and is joined together using gas welding to prevent imperfections in the joints and to ensure greater durability. According to the expert artist, the entire structure is secured with self-locking screws.

This is how Alicante celbrates Christmas in style, maybe even 'living it large'. Also in city hall square itself, visitors can enjoy some of the extraordinary Christmas lights and there are plenty more lights to be seen in 130 different locations throughout the city.

 Six angels herald the route to giant Nativity scene in the city's main square, and they too are of considerable size. Each one is nine metres high and their creators are also bonfire artists. They are scattered all over the city to mark the way to this monumental 'belén', the epicentre of Christmas in Alicante.

In addition, visitors should not miss other key sights in the city this Christmas, such as the plant decorations on the façade of city hall, the three giant fir trees located on Avenida del General Marvá and the illuminated Nativity scene decorated with flowers, installed in another square, Plaza de Calvo Sotelo.

Also worth a mention are the two most visited nativity scenes created by the master artisans of the association of nativity scene makers . The first, with a biblical theme, is located in the entrance hall to the city council's headquarters. The second, considered a more social depiction, is made up of four scenes - two of a folk art style and the other two biblical. It can be visited in the centrally located Plaza de La Montañeta. A third belén, an initiative of the Junta's Easter Week brotherhoods, is located in the Palacio El Portalet, in the heart of Alicante's old quarter.