Christmas, the festival of the Birth of
Christ, is irrevocably bound to many traditions all over the
world. The nativity scene, lovingly set up beneath the Christmas
tree, is invariably a fixed part of the season in most households.
It is said that it was St. Francis of Assisi who first had
the idea, back in 1223, of setting up a plastic representation
of the Christmas story. The passion for nativity scenes really
blossomed during the Baroque. As a means of "illustrating
belief", lavish and valuable scenes were designed and made,
under the guidance of the Jesuits, and then set up in churches.
In time, smaller but equally valuable examples were set up
in townhouses and farms.
Today, there is an endless variety of nativity scenes, and
the main components have remained the same: the stable at
Bethlehem and the Holy Family - Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus,
the ox and the donkey, with the shepherds and the Wise Men
watching over them, in reverence and awe.
