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Christmas
Nativity
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The traditional Nativity
scene is a blend of elements from the canonical Matthew and Luke, with
additions from the Apocryphal Infancy Gospels popular in the Middle Ages.
These infancy Gospels, although never officially accepted by the Church,
nevertheless captured the public imagination because they fulfilled the
desire of people for more information about the life of Jesus. Christmas Depot |
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According to the oldest tradition, Jesus was born in a grotto, or small
cave. The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is built over what is said
to be the actual grotto where Jesus was born. Caves where often used to
stable animals in ancient Judea, and the area around Bethlehem is filled
with natural caves and protective overhangs. Although some people
mistakenly believe that the term manger refers to a stable, it actually
means a feeding trough, as does the word crèche. Therefore, when the Bible
says that Jesus was laid in a manger, it means that he was placed in a
feeding trough. In ancient Judea, a manger was often roughly carved of
local stone, perhaps from floor of the very cave where it would have been
located.
Tradition credits Saint Francis of Assisi with popularizing the tradition
of displaying a Nativity scene at Christmas. In 1223, Saint Francis is
said to have set up a grotto in the Italian town of Greccio as a manger
scene. Naples, however, became the place where Nativity scene, or Presepe,
was perfected. Wealthy patrons would often have the finest craftsmen they
could afford create unique Nativity scenes, many of which are in now
displayed in museums. Sometimes these works of art even included notable
people of the day!
Rather than striving for historical accuracy, Italian manger scenes
traditionally reflected the area they were made in. Most showed a stable
of the type popular in the Italian countryside. Many showed the entire
town surrounding the Nativity scene itself, and became so detailed that
they serve as valuable historical records of Italian village life.
The display of Nativity scenes quickly spread across Europe, becoming a
part of Christmas celebrations in many countries. It was first brought to
America by German members of the Moravian church, who settled mainly in
Pennsylvania. The Nativity scene didn't really become popular in the
United States as a whole, however, until the late 19th century, when large
numbers of Roman Catholic, and particularly Italian, immigrants began to
come the country. Since that time, however, it has become an almost
indispensable part of Yuletide celebration in America.
Nowadays, Nativity scenes are available in many different styles and
shapes, reflecting the personal taste of consumers. In every case,
however, they serve as valuable reminders of the true meaning of the
season!
Christmas Depot.com is proud to carry the full line of
Nativity scenes in many different styles and shapes!
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This site was last
updated on 05.10.2006
Copyright © 1997-2006 GiftsGiftBaskets, All right reserved.
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