A Word about Nativity Scenes

I have been asked about this a few times this past week and wanted to give the "official" version of the use and enjoyment of the nativity scene or creche.

As this is one of the primary teaching tools for the seasons of Christmas and Epiphany, there is a process that is generally followed whenever possible.

First, the infant Jesus does not appear in the scene until Christmas Eve. The reason for this is, I think, obvious.

Second, the Wise Men [or, in our house in the days of younger children, the "wise guys"] do not arrive at the scene until the traditional date of their arrival. Namely, the Feast of the Epiphany.

The common practice with the Wise Men is to have them present in the room where the scene is displayed, but in some other location. Gradually, as the season moves from the Feast of the Incarnation [Christmas] to that of Epiphany, the Wise Men move from end table to bookshelf to mantle, eventually arriving at the Epiphany.

In this manner, we are reminded not only that Christmas is a season of more than one day, but that the season of Epiphany that follows is directly related to the events of His birth.

Naturally, there is no one way of doing this and each family and parish holds its own traditions. I merely offer this as a tribute to the original tradition of the nativity scene.