Nativity Traditions
Luke 2:1-7
If you visit our church near Christmas, you will see a large and intricate Nativity Scene. It’s not unusual to see families stop and have their picture taken in front of the unique display. This beautiful Creche is displayed each year by the Wilson family who, years ago, decided to share their annual family tradition with their church family. The Wilson Nativity Scene is s a vivid reminder of the many and varied traditions practiced by families at Christmas.
“In Venezuela, where I grew up” Mike Wilson explained, “it was a part of our Roman Catholic tradition to set up a Nativity scene or Crèche as we called it. When I was 10 years old, my uncle brought a large set of figures from Rome for my mother. We set up the Crèche in our formal sitting room reserved for guests.”
“How did your Nativity Scene evolve into such an intricate display?” I asked.
“When we first started setting up the Crèche,” Mike answered, “we would get sand, rocks and cacti to create the terrain we imagined from our Bible studies. From there it expanded over the years as we found new and creative ways to set up the Nativity. Each year, these were the first of our Christmas decorations to go up just before the start of Advent, and the last to come down in January.”
“What happened after you started your own family?” I asked.
“When I married, my mother gave me the Nativity set. We have continued the tradition with my family, each year looking for bits and pieces to add. We then purchased a second set to share with our church family. Our entire family gets together to honor the memory of my mother. It was always her desire to share the Nativity set with her church family, so we feel it is a fitting way to honor her.”
“But, I asked, “you’ve added a few extras for the children, haven’t you?”
“Yes!” Mike replied. “We always include fun for the little ones: Can you find the mouse? The cat? The chicken and the rooster? The owl? The hermit crab? How about the baby angel? And don’t miss ‘Angel Falls,’ in memory of the country where we grew up.”
“What fun! I may never look at a Nativity Scene quite the same way again.” Thank you for sharing part of your family tradition with our church. We are blessed.”
“We thank our church,” Mike replied, “for allowing us to share while honoring our mother and hopefully inspiring others about the true meaning of Christmas. Merry Christmas!”
“And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.” Luke 2:6-7
Prayer Challenge: How can you better display the baby Jesus this Christmas?
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