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How Nativity Scenes Can Help You Enjoy A Reverent Christmas Season
There are many cherished Christmas traditions that we enjoy but the one that really speaks to the heart of the holidays is the classic Nativity scene.
A Little Background
The word Nativity comes from the Middle French nativité which, in turn, came from the Latin nativitas which means birth. Specifically, it’s used to signify the birth of Jesus as described in the Gospels of Saints Luke and Matthew.
Tradition holds that the first Nativity scene was a live-action Christmas pageant directed by Saint Francis of Assisi in the Thirteenth Century. What is believed to be the first Nativity set was sculpted in marble later that century in the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.
The primary intent is to depict the events of the night when Jesus was born in Bethlehem but there are aspects of the whole arc of the Christmas story that are often included for their symbolic value. Even though the wise men were not considered to have arrived until Jesus was at least two or three, their famous gifts play a big part in representing what Jesus means to Christians.
Who’s Who
Regardless of the exact sequence of which Nativity scene characters showed up at what point, we’ve got a star-studded ensemble cast when it comes to getting it all set up.
The Holy Family
One of my dearest childhood treasures was a simple stone carving of the Holy Family in a cave. Joseph and Mary kneeling in adoration on either side of the baby Jesus. This summed up the spirit of Christmas in a simple vignette and it stood on top of my dresser for years among my most valued decor.
The most common depiction of the Holy Family is with Jesus between his earthly parents. This reminds us to keep Jesus at the center of all our thoughts throughout the holiday season and in our lives as well. By keeping Jesus at the center of our attention, we can try to emulate the example he set for us.
Angels
Christmas relies heavily on the presence of angels. From the Annunciation when the Archangel Gabriel notified Mary of her miraculous pregnancy to the angels who told the shepherds to go bear witness to the newborn Savior, these winged servants of God play an important part in the Christmas story.
Not only did an archangel announce the wondrous news to Mary but they put things right with her understandably distraught husband, Joseph. They also warn Joseph to take the Holy Family to Egypt in order to escape Herod’s tyranny and let him know when it was safe to return after Herod’s death.
Shepherds
Having been scared out of their wits by the sudden appearance of an angel among them, these simple people were then witness to an entire angelic choir announcing the Good News. However, the truly miraculous thing is that they actually went!
The shepherds were the first recipients of the Good News of Christ’s birth and the fulfillment of centuries of prophecies. What’s more, they went and spread the word.
The shepherds were simple pastoral folk like many of our ancestors. This made the story of the Nativity very personal for early Christians hearing the story for the first time.
Animals
In most cases, the Nativity scene pictures the presence of livestock. Whether it is the donkey that Mary rode on her way to Bethlehem or the cattle whose manger Jesus used as his crib or even the sheep of the shepherds who came to bear witness to the angels’ proclamation, there is a place for the gentle animals at the Savior’s birth.
The word manger, particularly around Christmastime, has been elevated to mean Jesus’ makeshift crib but it literally means they put him in the animals’ feeding trough. Manger comes from the same root words for “eat” as manger in French or mangiare in Italian. Can you even imagine?
As such, the cows and sheep are patiently waiting for a chance to get back to their food but they are symbolically acknowledging the newborn King of Heaven’s dominion over all the Earth and living beings.
The Magi
From the perspective of the night of Jesus’ birth, these Wise Men aren’t technically supposed to show up yet. All the same, they have observed the star that leads them to the house where the Holy Family is.
Depending on how you read it, the Holy Family may still be in Bethlehem shortly after the birth of Jesus or it could be some time afterward. It says that they followed the star until it stood over where Jesus was without saying specifically that they were still in Bethlehem.
The tradition that Jesus might have been as old as two until the Wise Men showed up comes from Herod’s awful decision to kill all boys aged two or younger. No matter the age, the gifts of the Magi are important to the Christmas story because they recognize what Jesus represents. As the song says, Jesus is “King and God and Sacrifice“.
Gold represents Jesus’ kingly nature. He is the King of Kings.
Frankincense represents Jesus’ spiritual nature. Frankincense was part of the mixture used in temples for worship services.
Myrrh represents Jesus’ eventual sacrifice for the good of all mankind at Easter. Myrrh was also used in the mixture of scents used in the temple for worship services but it served as an embalming salve along with Frankincense and would have been used in preparing Jesus for the tomb on Good Friday.
Getting Your Nativity Scene Set Up
For us, our Nativity scene figurines are strictly an indoor decoration but some people like having an outdoor Nativity scene. This can be a simple silhouette made of painted wood or it can be an elaborate lighted diorama with half-scale or even life-sized figures.
Some people are even satisfied simply displaying their Nativity scene using clipart as a computer desktop wallpaper. How you choose to decorate is entirely up to your own tastes.
We actually have a couple of different Nativity sets. Our formal set of figurines is actually spread around the house at the beginning of Advent. The Holy Family travels toward the stable throughout Advent.
On Christmas Eve, when we leave for church, my wife puts the baby Jesus in so that when we get home the kids are surprised to find the miraculous birth has taken place while we were at worship. The shepherds are also brought to the stable while the Wise Men wend their way toward the Holy Family during the 12 Days of Christmas. They arrive on Epiphany and that heralds the end of the holiday season for us.
Our other Nativity sets are ones that are designed for the children to play with during the holidays. We have one that is a simple wooden block set that the kids have always enjoyed setting up and rearranging throughout the season. Another one was a fabric stable stuffed with pillow fluff. The door stayed shut with velcro and the plush Nativity characters were held safely inside from one year to the next.
As you can see, there are so many different kinds of Nativity scenes with which you can celebrate the holidays. Let us know what your favorite kinds are!