What if Mary and Joseph were millennials? Would Joseph sport a man bun? Would Snapchat fit Jesus with a flower crown and the angels tweet - not sing - about the newborn king?
Modern Nativity, a San Diego California-based company , has created its own take on what that iconic Christmas decoration would look like in 2016.
Folks, this isn’t your mother’s nativity scene.
In the modern version, a Mary - dressed in an off-the-shoulder-top, black leggings, sneakers and holding a cup of coffee - poses duck-lipped for a selfie next to a khaki-clad Joseph.
The stable is solar-powered, the three wise men roll up on Segways carrying Amazon Prime boxes and a hipster shepherd uses a tablet to post photos on Instagram (#babyjesus, #noroomintheinn).
Co-founder Casey Wright said the idea grew out of a conversation with his brother and business partner, Corey, and friends over a few beers. It developed into an idea and quickly went viral.
“We were just talking about how different religious texts would be if set in modern times,” he said. “It was really kind of a joke that got out of hand.”
They sent the idea to an illustrator friend and “the rest is history. We showed it to our friends and they, ‘you guys have got to make this’.”
This is the first product by the Wrights, who run a marketing service to the real estate industry.
The hand-painted plaster nativity scene costs $129.99.
It hasn’t always gone over so well, though.
Wright said he's gotten messages on social media warning him that hes " going to hell," although most responses have been positive. Wright told CNN Money that "many orders for the sets came from churches, pastors and reverends."
It’s been extremely popular among millennials, of course, and collectors of nativity scenes. Of 5,000 units produced, said Wright, about 1,000 are still available.
The idea may be catching on. Fans are suggesting other themed nativity scenes.
“We want to let the dust settle and then we’ll see what will be the most fun.”
