Where does the nativity scene come from?
The first live reproduction of the outdoor Christmas nativity was made by St. Francis of Assisi for the event he staged in Greccio, Italy, in 1223. It was a way of communicating the true meaning of Christmas. The idea proved so popular that it soon spread throughout the Christian world. The story of the nativity comes from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Luke’s account describes the journey of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, where they must go to be counted in the census ordered by Caesar Augustus. Unable to find any room at the inn, they take refuge in a stable used to shelter animals. Here Jesus is born and laid in a manger filled with hay. In the hills overlooking Bethlehem an angel tells the shepherds of Jesus’ birth. Matthew’s account tells of a brilliant star that appears marking the birthplace of Jesus and of the three kings that follow its light to find the Christ child. The traditional grouping of wise men and farm folk is symbolic of the universal nature of Christianity and em
