Have you spotted a mini Jesus figurine while out and about in Banff?
Residents of the Aberdeenshire town have found the tiny toys on windowsills, at bus stops and cash machines over the past couple of weeks.
And there are plenty more to be found, according to the couple behind the mystery.
Simon Gibson and his wife Louise say they were inspired to spread some festive cheer after a recent trip to the USA.
Simon, 69, told The Press and Journal: “We were in the States a few weeks ago, which is where we discovered them.
“I thought they were so cute. I thought they were interesting, in the sense they were comical but not disrespectful.
“Immediately, I ordered a load off of Amazon, thinking I might give them to people for fun.
Why one couple ‘decided to sprinkle Banff with these little Jesus models’
“We then devised the idea to put them around the town to spread some joy and cheer people up.
“It was with that in mind that we decided to sprinkle Banff with these little Jesus models.”
He added: “Christmas on the whole is great, but of course can be tough or a challenging time for people.
“I thought it would be nice to try and do something different to get people thinking about Christmas.”
The couple moved to Banff two years ago and say they’ve been blown away by the community’s response to their fun idea.
Simon said: “We have heard stories of young children finding them, which is really special.
“Some people have found them and put them on their dashboards as a good luck charm.
“A lot of people have found them and let us know on social media. One little boy had put it in his toy tractor.
“We put a few at cashpoints and I think people have been reluctant to pick them up as they are on camera. I think they don’t want to be spotted stealing Jesus!”
Plenty of Jesus figurines to be found ahead of Christmas
Simon, who owns psychology practices, added: “I couldn’t help but notice going by some of the places where we had put them that it brought a smile to people’s faces.
“As a psychologist, I spend a lot of my time trying to make unhappy people, more happy so it’s been really great to see.”
And the couple have no plans to stop the fun now. They originally bought 50 mini-figures – but have ordered even more ahead of Christmas.
“More are coming! The planting may be a bit sporadic, but further models will be hidden.”
Have you found one of the Jesus figures? Tell us where in the comments!
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