Start of Nativity Scenes
But the Nativity scene that is now recreated in the town squares and churches all over the world was originally designed by St. Francis of Assisi.
The majority of the information scholars have about Francis is derived from the “Life of St. Francis,” written by the 13th-century theologian and the philosopher St. Bonaventure.
Francis was born to an aristocratic family of merchants in the Umbrian town of Assisi located in modern day Italy, around 1181. However, Francis did not like his family’s wealth earlier in his life. He took off his clothes from his town’s square.
In 1209, he established the mendicant order of the Franciscans the Franciscans, a group of religious people who dedicated themselves to works of charity. The Franciscans of today are serving the material and spiritual needs of the poor and the excluded from society.
According to Bonaventure Francis 1223 sought permission from Holy Roman Emperor Pope Honorius III to embark on a mission “for the kindling of devotion” to the birth of Christ. As part of his preparations, Francis “made ready a manger, and bade hay, together with an ox and an ass,” in the small Italian town of Greccio.
One person, who was among the crowd of people who were present, spoke of the moment when Francis included a doll that shed the tears of joy while “seemed to be awakened from sleep when the blessed Father Francis embraced Him in both arms.”
The tale of the crying doll moved everyone in the room as Bonaventure writes. However, Francis also performed a miracle, too. The baby’s hay healed animals from illnesses and also protected humans from diseases.
Nativity Imagery in Art
The Nativity story was able to continue to grow within Christian religion after Francis’s death. In 1291, Pope Nicholas IV, the first Franciscan pope, requested the creation of a permanent Nativity scene to be erected in Santa Maria Maggiore, the largest church dedicated to the Virgin Mary situated in Rome.
The Nativity theme was the one that was most important theme within Renaissance art.
This very first living Nativity scene, popularly painted by Italian Renaissance painter Giotto di Bondone in the Arena Chapel of Padua, Italy was the first step towards the development of a new method of presenting an event that celebrated the birth of Christ.
In the Tondo circle-shaped painting of the Adoration of the Magi painted by 15th-century painters Fra Filippi, and Angelico and Angelico, not only sheep but also a donkey, an ox, and a cow. A peacock is also present who flies over the top of the manger to get a glimpse of Jesus.
Political Turn of Nativity Scenes
After Jesus His baby’s birth Jesus King Herod realized that his power was threatened because Jesus was threatened, decided to execute boys less than two years old. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph were directed to flee to Egypt.
If you didn’t know, the baby Jesus remained a symbol so in many of today’s outdoor nativity sets you can find his figure, labeled as the most valuable one.
As a way of acknowledging the fact that Jesus, Mary, and Joseph were all refugees themselves. In recent years , certain churches have utilized the Nativity scenes as a method of political protest , to demonstrate the importance of ensuring that immigrants receive justice. Specifically those who have created “protest nativities” have criticized the executive orders on family separation along the U.S.-Mexico border.
These shows, which draw attention to the situation of asylum seekers and immigrants are bringing the Christian tradition into the 21st century.
Vanessa Corcoran is an adjunct professor in the field of history and an academic counselor at Georgetown University.