Tree Talk: History of the Nativity

The Christ Child in the manger and other pictures of the story of Bethlehem have been used in church services from the first century. But the crib in its present form, and its use outside the church originated with St. Francis of Assisi in 1223. The place was a cave in Grecio, Italy, a mountainside village overlooking a beautiful valley. Inside the cave was a live ox, a donkey, and a manger surrounded by hay. A beautiful infant was sleeping in the manger. This first nativity creche scene was created for midnight Mass on Christmas and is recounted in The Life of St. Francis of Assisi, the biography of the saint's life written by St. Bonaventure. The wonder of this first nativity creche, which brought St. Francis to tears as he said the Mass, was ongoing. It is said that the hay used for the scene was found to miraculously cure any kind of disease in the animals.

Over time, the tradition of the nativity spread throughout Europe, and particularly in Italy. Eventually, the nativity characters were represented by statues instead of real people. In the 18th century, mechanized creches were constructed and placed in small theaters, featuring the kicking feet of Jesus in the manger. During the French Revolution, nativity creches and scenes were banned, so Christians made them in secret using simple household supplies such as cloth and bread. In Provence, the French province know for its artisanry, the artist Jean-Louis Lagnel began to craft affordable nativity creches from clay in 1797. The tiny clay figurines became known as "santons" or little saints. These small nativity creches paved the way for the many types of nativity scenes which are displayed today.

We know that most nativity creches aren't biblically accurate, as neither the shepherds, nor the magi were present immediately after Jesus' birth. Yet the scene includes these characters which are essential to the Bethlehem nativity story. As Christians, we must never forget that the wood of the manger which securely held the Babe of Bethlehem would one day give way to the wood of the cross.

O Holy Night!