Some Customs of Advent (Part 2)

The nativity scene or crèche arose out of ancient piety and the medieval theater. Christians were honoring the cave in Bethlehem where Jesus Christ is believed to have been born even before St. Helen built the Basilica of the Nativity over it around A.D. 330. Medieval mystery plays later reenacted the Nativity, but when they got out of hand, Pope Honorius suppressed them.

A generation later, however, St. Francis of Assisi obtained papal permission to stage a live outdoor Nativity scene. On Christmas Eve 1223, in a cave in Greccio, Italy, the Saint had a manger set up with hay and a live ox and donkey. Then, during a Solemn High Mass, the holy deacon, his cheeks bathed in tears of joy, sang the Gospel and preached about the “Nativity of the poor King and the humble town of Bethlehem.” Francis’ idea caught on quickly throughout Western Christendom, first to churches and then to homes. Not even the Reformation, with its rejection of “graven images,” could dislodge some German sects from their nativity scenes: they would rather be bad Protestants than be bereft of their crèches. It was most likely they who brought the first nativity sets to the U.S.

There are a number of charming customs involving the crèche. One is not to place the Infant Jesus in the manger until Christmas morning or after Midnight Mass to heighten anticipation. Another is to have the family’s children “prepare” the manger by earning wisps of straw that can be used for the Infant Jesus’ bedding; they earn the straw by prayers or good works. This custom, which began long ago in France, effectively teaches children that the cultivation of virtue is the best way to prepare for the Lord’s coming.

Third, the figurines for the Three Kings can be placed at the opposite end of the room in which the crèche is kept. During Advent, they can be moved a little closer (either with the help of the children or “miraculously” while they sleep) every day during Advent and the Twelve Days of Christmas until they arrive at their destination on January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany. A similar practice can be implemented with the figurines of Joseph and Mary to symbolize their journey from Galilee to Bethlehem.