B ut this is a detail added by a songwriter, not a scripture writer. Many nativities assume that sheep came with the shepherds and the wise men rode on camels, though this is conjecture. The most common animal in most nativities is a donkey, which is based on the popular image of the Virgin Mary riding the back of the beast and being led solely by her husband, Joseph.
The human characters in nativity sets pose even more problems than the animals. Many nativities feature a trinity of monarchs dressed in silk robes, elaborate turbans, and gaudy gold jewelry. They were often students of astrology, which accounts for why they noticed a galactic anomaly to begin with. The Bible says these wisemen brought three gifts—gold, frankincense, and myrrh—which might have led to the idea that there were three. The endurance of the image throughout history might stem, again, from its poignancy.
But perhaps the most detrimental detail perpetuated by most of these scenes is the complexion of the human characters in most Western nativities. Kurt S. Neiman Marcus. Olive Wood Nativity Scene. This exclusive nativity scene features 11 figures and is made of hand-carved olive wood. Hand-Painted Christmas Manger Scene. Holy Family Nesting Dolls. Bits and Pieces. Crystal Splendor Outdoor Nativity Scene.
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Hand-Carved Nativity Set. Rustic Nativity Scene. Fisher-Price Nativity Set. JOY Nativity Set. As the tradition was introduced to new regions throughout the world, nativity scenes adapted to local tastes and customs. A few years ago, however, there were complaints that this localism had gone too far when a figurine of former Italian prime minister, the scandal-plagued Silvio Berlusconi, appeared in a nativity scene in Naples.
By the 19th century Protestant churches, which initially rejected nativity scenes as a form of idolatrous Catholic superstition, slackened their opposition to the scenes, and their popularity spread through the wider Christian world. Last Christmas, a church in Southampton, England gathered shepherds, angels, and wise men of all sizes in an attempt to break the record for the largest living nativity.
At participants, however, they fell well short of the record of people. He was deeply moved visiting the site where God became fully human. Hoping others could enjoy the same profoundly spiritual experience, Francis encouraged believers to make pilgrimages to Bethlehem. By , however, conflict among the powers vying for control of the Holy Land made the trip too dangerous for pilgrims. Francis decided to do the next best thing—bring Bethlehem to the pilgrims.
We do not know if the Italian villagers standing in the cold on Christmas Eve nearly eight centuries ago were as moved as Francis was by the idea of an omnipotent God so capable of love and humility that he took the form of a vulnerable infant and was born outdoors among the animals. The popularity of nativity scenes, however, indicates that over the centuries people were drawn to the possibility of building their own Bethlehem.
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