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Donations are left in a Nativity scene on the outskirts of Beijing, China.
A Nativity scene made with 138 life-size wooden figurines carved by Jiri Halouzka in Jirikov, north Moravia, Czech Republic.
Nativity figurines with face masks in San Gregorio Armeno, a monastery in Naples, Italy.
Pope Francis stands in front of a Nativity scene on December 12, 2018, at the Vatican.
In the following centuries, the Nativity scene spread throughout Europe. The cast of characters grew over the years to include the three wise men, shepherds, villagers, and more animals, among others.
A live Nativity scene outside of the U.S. Supreme Court on December 12, 2018.
Sources: (Grunge) (U.S. Catholic) (Smithsonian Magazine) (Slate)
A Nativity scene is set up in Manger Square near the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, where, according to the Bible, Jesus was born.
A Nativity scene on display at Cologne Cathedral in Cologne, Germany.
The scene was depicted at Claremont United Methodist Church on December 9, 2019, in Claremont, California. The Church has assisted asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Nativity scene has since then become a Christmas classic, with artists depicting it in paintings, living scenes, and Nativity plays in theaters.
The book says that St. Francis of Assisi was allowed by Pope Honorious III to set up a manger with hay and two live animals in a cave in Greccio, Italy. St. Francis then invited the locals to visit the scene while he preached about “the babe of Bethlehem.”
According to the book ‘The Life of St. Francis of Assisi’ by Franciscan monk St. Bonaventure, the first Nativity scene dates back to 1223.
According to St. Bonaventure’s book, the hay used by St. Francis had the power to cure local cattle diseases.
A figure known as the caganer (a figurine depicted defecating) became popular in Nativity scenes in the Catalonia region of Spain. The tradition dates back to the 18th century.
Pictured: a Nativity scene depicts Jesus, Mary, and Joseph separated and locked in cages, as if they were asylum seekers detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
A bright Nativity scene in front of the Monument to the Unknown Soldier, on December 15, 2011 in Rome, Italy.
A Nativity scene inside St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery, in Kiev, Ukraine.
A Nativity scene set up inside an aquarium in the L'Oceanogràfic, an oceanarium in Valencia, Spain.
Former First Lady of the United States Rosalynn Carter stands by a Nativity scene at the White House on December 12, 1978.
Local Christians admire a Nativity scene during Christmas mass in Colombo, Sri Lanka on December 25, 2010.
A Nativity scene is set up on the balcony of a house in Mandaluyong, a suburb of Manila in the Philippines.
The Keur Moussa abbey church fresco was painted by Dom Georges Saget in 1963.
A detail of the fresco from the Cathedral of Faras in Sudan is displayed in the Sudan National Museum, in Khartoum.
A Nativity Byzantine fresco (12th century), at Karanlik Kilise ("Dark Church") in Göreme, Turkey.
Pictured: wax statues of celebrities depicted as Nativity scene figures at Madame Tussauds museum in London, England.
The Nativity scene is a Christmas classic. People all over the world set up, display, and admire the visual representation of the birth of baby Jesus. But where does the tradition come from? When did it start and by whom? In this gallery you'll find the answer to these and more questions. In addition, we also bring you several Nativity scenes from around the world, including both ancient and modern depictions. Click on for more!
Nativity scenes from around the world
Do you know the origins of this tradition?
LIFESTYLE Christmas
The Nativity scene is a Christmas classic. People all over the world set up, display, and admire the visual representation of the birth of baby Jesus. But where does the tradition come from? When did it start and by whom? In this gallery you'll find the answer to these and more questions. In addition, we also bring you several Nativity scenes from around the world, including both ancient and modern depictions. Click on for more!