By Chris Cosci

As most people know, Christmas is about more than just sleigh bells, mistletoe and a huge pile of presents. Like many holidays, Christmas has its basis in religion, specifically the birth of Jesus. Although most scholars agree that Jesus wasn't born anywhere in the vicinity of December 25th, that date has been the day of celebration for centuries.

In addition to having a religious foundation, Christmas shares with other holidays the tradition of people obscuring its religious ties with more secular decorations and customs. In spite of this, one religious image has persisted over the years and still remains a prominent display in many Christian households: the nativity scene.

With its depiction of Jesus in a manger surrounded by Mary, Joseph, a few gatherers and various animals, the nativity scene serves as a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas. It's a significant image that helps bring a little solemnity to this occasion - though perhaps a little less when it's in the form of oversized, plastic figures on someone's front lawn.

In Naples, Italy, intricately detailed nativity scenes have long been considered a true art form. In the 18th century, there were many skilled sculptors who created masterful scenes. Strangely enough, many of these works were created not for the church but for the wealthy. One might argue that such extravagance contrasts with the anti-materialistic ideology of Christianity, but we'll just let that go for now.

These days, one of the most magnificent collections of nativity scenes can be found at Via San Gregorio Armeno in Naples. Along this narrow, cobbled street, hundreds of artisans fill their workshops and stalls with nativity displays. Although each artisan adds a personal touch to create a distinctive design, there is one display this year that has attracted the most attention. It is the largest one, measuring over nine feet tall and nineteen feet wide. While the size is certainly impressive, there's something else about it that has people talking: it's made entirely of chocolate.

Yes, thirty-two pastry chefs gathered to create a large, all-chocolate nativity scene. Using about 7,275 pounds of chocolate, the construction took over 4500 hours, or the equivalent of over 187 days. It took two weeks alone just to construct the Madonna. And the creators were meticulous in their design, bringing in the help of expert carpenters, sculptors and painters to build hills, houses and over 100 animals, shepherds and other townspeople.

The use of chocolate as a medium for a nativity scene is certainly unique. However, there's still one thing that concerns me: the creators proudly claim that the entire display is edible. After the holidays, they are planning to donate the display to the public for consumption. Maybe it's just me, but I find it a little unsettling to picture somebody ripping off a shepherd's arm for a bite or nibbling on the head of baby Jesus.

Granted, chocolate figures are not entirely uncommon for a religious holiday. After all, chocolate bunnies are one of the most popular gifts on Easter. However, it helps that those bunnies look a little cartoonish. I'm sure that if the chocolate bunny company tried to introduce a line of chocolate crosses with Christ on them, sales would not be as brisk.

As for the chocolate nativity scene, I'm sure it will continue to draw large crowds, some of whom will probably feel a little uncomfortable as they start drooling. Everybody will have a different reaction. Some may be awed by the detail in the carving. Others may admire the breadth and scope of the scene. And then there will be those who finally get to see the merging of their spiritual beliefs and their profound love of chocolate. For them, this display will bring new meaning to the term "Passion of the Christ."