Dept 56 - Alpine Village - Decorating the Wayside Shrine by Department 56 - 56.5632

Description

Dept 56 - Alpine Village - Decorating the Wayside Shrine by Department 56.. A wayside shrine, is a religious image, usually in some sort of small shelter, placed by a road or pathway, sometimes in a settlement or at a crossroads, but often in the middle of an empty stretch of country road, or at the top of a hill or mountain. They have been a feature of many cultures, including Catholic Europe. Some commemorate a specific incident near the place - either a death in an accident or an escape from harm - but others are erected for a variety of motives by persons, parishes or other bodies. Some mark parish or other boundaries, such as the edge or a landholding, or have a function as convenient markers for travellers to find their way