The Christmas Story Comes to Life

One of the long-standing traditions in most homes, is the placement of a nativity scene under or near the family Christmas tree, or on larger display outside of the home. Whether that nativity scene is new to the family or has been in the family for many generations, it is the culmination of what Christmas is all about: our Savior coming in our humanity as a baby, born in a stable in Bethlehem. This nativity Scene, or crèche, offers to all us a visual connection with the true meaning of Christmas—Jesus coming to be with all of us.

The word crèche comes from the French language meaning “manger” or “crib,” with its origin as a nursery, but now refers more to the nativity. Though not the original thought of St. Francis of Assisi, it was St. Francis who brought the manger scene to life. After a visit to Bethlehem, it was St. Francis, a deacon, who, on Christmas Eve of 1223, was visiting the central Italian town of Greccio to celebrate midnight Mass at a Franciscan hermitage. When Francis realized that the hermitage would not hold the congregation for Midnight Mass, he found a cave near the town to set up the altar. Along with the setting up of the altar, it was Francis who had locals from the Italian village, to dress up as Mary and Joseph, and the other nativity characters, along with real animals. This was the backdrop as they celebrated Midnight Mass. Needless to say, this tradition caught on and many other nativity displays began to show up, not only in Italy, but now across the world, allowing the people to interact with Jesus’ birth, as they reflected also on their own village lives, and the involvement of the local people in the display.

Even during times of revolution where nativity scenes were banned in public, many Christians turned to setting up these crèches in their homes in devotion to our Lord and Savior. (Sound familiar? Even our own display here in our city, down by the river, had to have a letter displayed inside, explaining why it is there on public land.) This remains today a visual reminder to all of mankind, and has a special place in the heart of Christians around the world, of the night when our dear Savior was born, as a little child, in poverty, in a stable and laid in a manger, no crib for a bed.