During the nine days before Christmas, friends and family gather for the re-enactment, with two children dressing up to play the roles of Mary and Joseph.

This is not the year—or the Christmas—we wanted. But God is still with us, and we can still reach out to our neighbors.

“What they did was portray an astronaut offering the moon to Jesus,” Angelo Bottone said. “To me, it’s an expression of profound worship.”

The Vatican unveiled its official Nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square on Friday evening, surprising some with its depiction of an astronaut and another figure wearing a Darth Vader-esque helmet coming to adore the Christ child.

A tree that is forever green and points to heaven can stand for Christ.

The sincerity of “Dash & Lily” extends far beyond its rom-com influences. It holds a deep, reverent love for New York.