Nativities Around the World: Home
Nativities From Around the World
At Christmas pageants each year, thousands of children put on bathrobes to act as shepherds and don cardboard crowns wrapped in tinfoil to portray as wise men. Nativities, while not perfectly representing Jesus’ birth, are still significant in the truths that they portray. The humbleness of the shepherds tell us that Jesus came to save the lowly people who follow Jesus. The wise men, traveling from the east, demonstrate that Jesus’ birth was for Jews and Gentiles alike.
All around the world nativities are created to celebrate the humble birth of Jesus Christ. Figures depicted in nativities remain constant; all show some representative of baby Jesus and Mary. Still more include Joseph, an angel, wise men bearing gifts, shepherds with their sheep, and other barnyard animals. And yet, each nativity is unique.
Capturing Culture: Each nativity reflects specific details about the country in which it is made. The geographical region can determine the artisan’s medium whether it is clay, thorns from a local tree, quarried stone, or banana leaves. Local produce including potatoes, corn, pineapple, or tomatoes occasionally replace the traditional gifts of frankincense, gold, and myrrh. Animals, such as llamas, zebras, and giraffes, sometimes substitute for sheep, cattle, or donkeys.
Artisans craft the nativity story into tableaus that capture their culture. A nativity from Kenya depicts Jesus with a traditional Maasai haircut. Figures from Colca Canyon, Peru, feature hand-embroidered clothing. The manager scene from Kyrgyzstan occurs in a traditional felt yurt.
Uniqueness: The creativity of the artisan also adds to the uniqueness of each nativity. Maria Helena Giraldoe represented the holy family as coffee beans. Cristobal Mamani formed clay figures with humorous and exaggerated physical characteristics. Rosalie Paniyak created whimsical dolls with elongated chins and noses. Petro Paula Mayige sculpted figurines with exquisite details.
Beauty: The unassuming beauty of each nativity scene displayed here demonstrates the diversity of people from around the world who have heard the gospel and through their art honor the Christ child.
History
This nativity scene was commissioned by Pope Nicholas IV, a Franciscan, in 1292 / Photo courtesy of WikimediaCommons.
The first known nativity scene created in 1223 is attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. In a cave of Greccio, Italy, he assembled a manager and a live ox and a donkey. He then invited local villagers to gaze upon the scene while he preached about the story of the holy birth. Such reenactments became popular and spread throughout Christian nations.
- For hundreds of years, recreating the nativity scene influenced the visual arts. Nativity scenes became included in frescoes in cathedrals and talented painters made it the subject of artwork.
- Missionaries followed St. Francis’s example and used nativity scenes to spread the good news of the Christ child throughout the world. It wasn’t long until the nativity scene was incorporated into local artwork reflecting regional, national, and cultural differences.
About our Nativity Collection
Henrietta Van Maanen (’55) donated forty sets of her vast collection to her alma mater in 2008. Her first nativity set was one her maternal grandmother gave to her family when she was growing up. She purchased her first nativity in Bethlehem in 1972, and continued to add to her collection during her travels. The collection includes nativity sets bought while in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, the Netherlands, and Russia and from artisans in Alaska and New Mexico.
“…the wonderful thing is they represent all these cultures and people —who even though they’re different —are all Christians. It’s such fun to see ones made in different countries with the features and clothing of those people.”
- Henrietta Van Maanen (The Classic, Winter 2008-2009)
Other sets were purchased at stores like the Hands Around the World (Orange City, IA), International Crèche Festival (Bellingham, WA), and Ten Thousand Villages (Montreat, NC). As fair trade stores, they sell food and crafts of underemployed artisans from around the world. Typically stores are run by volunteers so that artisans can be paid higher wages to support themselves and their families. Church organizations, like the Mennonite Central Committee, Catholic Relief Services, and Lutheran World Relief, are an integral part of the fair trade movement.