Crib a symbol of humility, simplicity & solitude

The most joyful and loved Christian feast – Christmas is here! You have certainly seen a Santa Clause distributing gifts to children. You are also familiar with choirs singing Christmas carols. You might have seen the Moolamylliang Christmas Lights Extravaganza 2023.

In Shillong city the streets and the shops in the popular location Police Bazaar (Khyndai Laid) has been decorated with colourful lights. In these impressive exhibitions you will notice stars, Christmas tree and the depiction of the scene of the birth of Jesus called the crib. In short, Christmas celebration is associated with Santa Clause, Christmas tree, stars, colourful lights, glittering decorations and, of course, the Christmas Crib.

The 800th years of the invention of the manger

It is believed that it was St Francis of Assisi, who first created the nativity scene 800 years ago in 1223 in a hill town of Greccio, Italy, where the 13th century saint made his home for prayer and meditation. Hence, Christmas 2023 is the 800th anniversary of the first crib.

On December 9, Pope Francis marked the 800th anniversary by inaugurating the recreation of the St Francis of Assisi’s crib while unveiling also the Christmas tree in St. Peter’s Square, Vatican.

After returning from his visit to Bethlehem, the inspired St. Francis staged a live play of the scene of Jesus’ birth during the celebration of the Mass at the village church in Greccio. He created the manger with hay.  He brought the animals like oxen and donkeys.

Actors consisting Mary (with the Child Jesus), Joseph, the three Magi, the shepherds, angels recreated the scene much to cheers of the people of Greccio. Thus the tradition of recreating Jesus’ birth was born.

Today, churches and households worldwide make the crib to celebrate the most popular Christian feast. It has become synonymous with Christmas.

A different perspective

However, there is a different view. The widely hailed invention could be inaccurate. St Francis might not have been the inventor of the ‘crèche’ as we know it today. ‘Crèche’, the French word for crib, is a three-dimensional sculpture that includes the Blessed Mother, St Joseph and the baby Jesus lying in a manger. Under a prominent star lay an ox and ass while nearby the Magi and shepherds kneel. What St Francis did was a live play of the nativity scene of the birth of Jesus more 2000 years ago in the Holy Land. It was not the ‘Crib’ per say.

Written evidence says it was the Jesuits who first set up the first crib in the Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, in 1562, almost 350 years after St Francis’ wonderful show at Greccio.

The scholar, Rudolf Berliner, in 1946 writes that ‘The Origins of the Crèche’ were from the Society of Jesus. In the following decades, the Carmelites, the Augustinians and the Franciscans followed the  example.

Inspired from the Biblical Account

The inventor of the Christmas Crip may be disputed. But one thing is sure. The first creator was inspired by the Biblical accounts of the nativity narrative. The narrative is found in the Gospels of Luke and Mathew. Luke says that Joseph took the pregnant ‘wife’, Mary to Bethlehem to present themselves at the census ordered by Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus. On reaching Bethlehem Jesus was born. Since no room was found in the town, the infant was born at a manger in a stable. The angels sang to announce his birth and a group of shepherds came to worship the ‘Messiah and Lord’.

Mathew did not narrate the above details but simply stated that the birth took place in the Judean town of Bethlehem during the reign of King Herod also called Herod the Great. He then tells the story of the three Wise men from the East (Magi) who, led by a star, came to palace asking for the birth place of the child, the future king of the Jews. A perturbed Herod sent the Magi to follow the star and instructed them to return once they locate the spot so that he too could proceed to ‘worship’ the new-born. On finding the manger in Bethlehem, the Magi worshipped the child and presented to him gold, frankincense and myrrh as gifts. An angel warned against returning to Herod and so they went home by another way. If you visit a crib during the Christmas season know that it is an initiation of the above Biblical accounts.

A crib or manger represents humility, simplicity and solitude. Jesus was born in a manger not born in a palace. There were no lights, decoration, celebration or ‘happy birthday’ wishes. The only visitors were the shepherds.

Angels sang in the heavens, “Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to all people of good will!”. But probably no one heard the melody. Perhaps, today’s Christmas is not in keeping with the ‘original’ Christmas. We may have strayed from the sober Bethlehem birthday. We have commercialised a bit too much. The essense of Christmas is that creed that Jesus, though God, humbled himself so much that he became man by being born as a child. Though from on ‘High’ he identifies himself as the “Immanuel” meaning ‘God with us’ (Mathew 1:23, Isaiah 7: 14). We have much to learn from the Crib! Happy Christmas to all.

(The author is assistant parish priest, 
Satgaon Parish, West Karbi Anglong, Assam) 

Cover image by MM