Day 90 — The Christmas Nativity Scene: The Story at the Heart of Christmas

Day 90 — The Christmas Nativity Scene: The Story at the Heart of Christmas

DAY 90 • 90 DAYS TO CHRISTMAS

By Mary Lourdes Bonnici

The Christmas Nativity Scene

The Story at the Heart of Christmas

Christmas Traditions, Stories & Festive Living

There are Christmas traditions that decorate our homes, traditions that fill them with music, and traditions that awaken memories. But among all the familiar images of the festive season, few take us as directly to the story of Christmas as the Nativity scene.

As our Christmas journey reaches 90 days to Christmas, we turn from the traditions explored in previous days towards a miniature world built around a manger: Mary and Joseph, the infant Jesus, shepherds, animals, angels and, in many representations, the Magi approaching from afar.

In Malta, we know it affectionately as il-presepju.

For many Maltese families, constructing the presepju is not simply seasonal decoration. It can be a family ritual, an artistic craft, an expression of Christian faith and a cultural tradition passed from one generation to another.

Yet the story of the Nativity scene reaches far beyond Malta.

Its development takes us from the Gospel narratives to medieval Italy, from churches and monasteries to family homes, and eventually into countless cultures around the world.

1. What Is a Nativity Scene?

A Nativity scene is an artistic representation of the birth of Jesus Christ.

At its centre are normally:

Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

Around them may appear shepherds, sheep, angels, an ox and donkey, the Star of Bethlehem and the Magi.

Not every element commonly found in a modern crib appears together in one biblical passage.

The accounts of Jesus' birth are principally found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, and the two accounts emphasize different aspects of the story.

Luke describes Jesus being laid in a manger and tells of shepherds receiving the announcement of his birth.

Matthew tells of the Magi following the star and visiting Jesus.

Over centuries, Christian art, devotion and popular tradition brought these elements together into the familiar Nativity scene.

Understanding this distinction allows us to appreciate the presepju both as a representation inspired by Scripture and as a tradition that developed culturally and artistically over many generations.

2. Greccio, 1223 — A Defining Moment in the Tradition

One of the most important dates in the history of the Nativity scene is Christmas 1223.

Saint Francis of Assisi arranged a special celebration at Greccio in Italy.

According to the account of his early biographer Thomas of Celano, Francis wanted people to contemplate the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus in a particularly tangible way.

A manger was prepared with hay, together with a living ox and donkey.

An important historical detail is sometimes overlooked:

There were no Nativity figurines in the Greccio scene.

It was an enacted religious experience rather than the miniature crib we commonly construct today.

The Vatican's Admirabile Signum explains that people from the surrounding area came carrying flowers and torches, while Mass was celebrated at the manger.

The intention was not simply to produce an attractive Christmas display. It was to help people contemplate the humility and simplicity associated with Christ's birth.

Greccio therefore became a defining milestone in the development of the Nativity tradition.

3. Did Saint Francis Invent the Nativity Scene?

This requires an important historical distinction.

It is common to hear that Saint Francis "invented the first Nativity scene."

That description is useful only if properly qualified.

Representations and devotion associated with Christ's Nativity existed before 1223. Vatican historical commentary itself acknowledges important precedents connected with representations of the Nativity.

What made Greccio particularly influential was Francis's dramatic and accessible recreation of the circumstances of Bethlehem.

Therefore, it is more historically careful to describe Greccio as a major formative moment in the tradition of the Christmas crib, particularly the living Nativity tradition, rather than claiming that no representation of the Nativity had existed previously.

4. From Greccio to the Christmas Crib

Over subsequent centuries, representations of the Nativity became increasingly elaborate.

Artists and craftspeople created figures representing the Holy Family, shepherds, angels, animals and other characters.

The tradition spread and developed differently across regions.

Eventually, Nativity scenes were no longer confined to churches or religious institutions.

They entered homes.

This transition was significant.

A great religious story became something families could recreate within their own domestic environment.

Children could help arrange the figures.

Parents could explain who the characters represented.

Families could add scenery year after year.

The crib became both a representation and a ritual.

5. The Presepju in Malta 🇲🇹

In Malta, the Nativity scene became deeply embedded in Christmas culture.

The Maltese word presepju derives from the same linguistic tradition as the Italian presepio/presepe, ultimately associated with the idea of a manger or crib.

Research preserved by the University of Malta describes the Maltese presepju as part of the islands' artistic and cultural heritage and notes the influence of Malta's connections with Sicily and other parts of Europe in its development.

The same research records that crib-making has remained present in Maltese homes, organisations, schools and Christmas cultural activities.

This is particularly important.

The Maltese presepju is not merely an imported decoration that remained unchanged.

Maltese craftspeople and families gradually gave it characteristics reflecting the islands themselves.

And so Bethlehem could begin to look, in some representations, a little like Malta.

6. When Bethlehem Meets Malta

One of the most charming aspects of traditional crib-making is the freedom to create an entire landscape around the central Nativity.

A Maltese presepju may therefore contain features inspired by local rural architecture and landscape.

The Nativity remains the centre of the scene, but the world around it can reflect the imagination of its maker.

This gives the presepju an extraordinary cultural quality.

It tells an ancient story through a local artistic language.

In that sense, the maker is doing something similar to generations of artists around the world: bringing Bethlehem symbolically closer to home.

7. The Pasturi

A presepju would feel incomplete without its pasturi — the figures placed throughout the scene.

The central figures naturally represent Mary, Joseph and Jesus.

Beyond them, however, a crib can become populated by an entire miniature community.

Shepherds watch their animals.

People carry goods.

Workers continue their occupations.

Travellers move towards the manger.

The Magi may appear farther away and gradually be moved closer as Christmas progresses, depending on family tradition.

These secondary characters have an important visual effect.

They transform the Nativity from an isolated tableau into a living world.

Symbolically, they can also remind us that the Christmas message enters ordinary human life.

8. The Għar — The Cave or Stable

The central structure of the Maltese presepju is commonly known as the għar.

This is where the Holy Family is positioned.

Depending on the maker, it may resemble a cave, rustic stable or simple shelter.

Around it, an entire landscape can be constructed with pathways, hills, buildings, fields, bridges and vegetation.

The artistic possibilities are enormous.

Some cribs are intentionally simple.

Others become extraordinary works of craftsmanship requiring many hours of construction.

Yet regardless of scale, attention ultimately returns to one small point:

the manger.

9. Maltese Crib-Making as a Craft

The making of a presepju can itself become part of Christmas.

Planning the structure, constructing the landscape, positioning the pasturi and deciding where the lights should fall require creativity and patience.

Traditional and modern makers may use combinations of materials such as wood, paper, cardboard, cork, papier-mâché, plaster and other modelling materials.

Contemporary makers have added new possibilities through lighting systems, miniature mechanisms and modern crafting techniques.

Yet handmade imperfections can be part of the presepju's charm.

The goal does not have to be perfection.

Sometimes the value lies precisely in knowing:

someone made this.

10. Malta's Presepju as Cultural Heritage

Academic work at the University of Malta has examined the presepju specifically for its cultural and educational significance.

Research has highlighted how crib-making can transmit artistic skills and cultural knowledge and how the tradition has continued through Maltese homes, organisations and community activities.

University of Malta collections also preserve research concerning historic Maltese cribs, including work on what has been described as the oldest surviving Maltese crib, associated with St Peter's Monastery in Mdina.

There is therefore an important heritage dimension to the tradition.

A presepju can preserve:

craftsmanship,

family practices,

local artistic styles,

religious devotion,

and collective Christmas memory.

11. Living Cribs

Another form of the tradition is the living Nativity, where people take the roles normally represented by figurines.

Interestingly, this brings the tradition closer to the experience at Greccio in 1223.

Malta has also developed examples of living crib traditions.

University of Malta's Melitensia collection, for example, preserves historical material specifically documenting the live crib at Lija.

Living Nativity events turn spectatorship into experience.

Instead of looking at miniature figures, visitors walk through an environment populated by real people portraying characters and activities.

It demonstrates how one Christmas story can be interpreted through several artistic forms.

12. The Symbolism of the Presepju

Every person may respond to a Nativity scene differently, but several recurring themes make it especially powerful.

Humility

The central figure is not surrounded by luxury.

The scene is deliberately simple.

Family

Mary, Joseph and Jesus form the visual heart of the presepju.

For many viewers, this naturally evokes thoughts about family, care and protection.

Hope

The birth of a child is inherently associated with beginnings.

Within Christian belief, the birth represented by the crib carries a much deeper message of salvation and hope.

Peace

The quiet manger scene contrasts strongly with noise, conflict and material excess.

Community

Shepherds, travellers, angels and eventually the Magi gather around one central event.

Different people are drawn towards the same place.

Simplicity

Perhaps this is one of the presepju's most enduring lessons.

Christmas does not require grandeur to have meaning.

13. The Star

Above many Nativity scenes shines the Star of Bethlehem.

The star belongs particularly to Matthew's account of the Magi, who follow a star on their journey.

Within Nativity imagery, it consequently became a powerful symbol of guidance.

Visually, it also performs another beautiful function.

Wherever our eyes begin within an elaborate crib — among buildings, shepherds, animals or scenery — the star points us back towards the centre.

It says:

Look here.

14. Why Children Are Drawn to the Presepju

A crib can be a remarkably effective form of visual storytelling.

Children can observe characters and ask:

Who is this?

Where is that shepherd going?

Why is there a star?

Why is the baby in a manger?

Why are the Magi travelling?

Through these questions, history, faith, culture, craftsmanship and storytelling can meet.

This educational dimension has also been identified in Maltese academic research into crib-making activities.

The presepju therefore does something that good educational traditions often do:

it teaches without feeling like a lesson.

15. A Tradition Passed Between Generations

Perhaps the most precious presepju is not necessarily the largest or most technically impressive.

It may be the one remembered from childhood.

A particular figurine.

A piece of scenery made by a grandfather.

A tiny sheep that always stood in the wrong place.

The moment when the Baby Jesus was finally placed in the manger.

The box of pasturi brought down every December.

These small rituals create family memory.

Years later, an adult may construct a crib for another generation and suddenly realise that the tradition is no longer simply something inherited.

It has become something they are now responsible for passing on.

16. The Presepju in the Modern Christmas Home

Modern Christmas aesthetics change constantly.

Decorations become fashionable and unfashionable.

Colours change.

Technology changes.

Homes change.

Yet the Nativity scene has survived these transformations remarkably well.

Today it may appear beside LED lights, contemporary Christmas trees and modern decorations.

Some families choose traditional handmade cribs.

Others prefer minimalist Nativity sets.

Some build enormous landscapes.

Others place only Mary, Joseph and Jesus on a small table.

Scale is not what gives the tradition its meaning.

The central story remains recognisable.

17. Interesting Facts

Greccio's famous Nativity took place at Christmas in 1223.

The Greccio scene did not contain the familiar collection of statues found in modern cribs. The Vatican account specifically notes that no statues were used.

Thomas of Celano, an early biographer of Saint Francis, recorded the Greccio event, giving historians an important early textual source.

Nativity representations existed before Greccio, so the history should not be reduced to the claim that all Nativity art began in 1223.

The Maltese presepju developed through cultural connections with Sicily and other European traditions while becoming an important element of Malta's own cultural heritage.

18. Reflection Questions & Answers

Why does the Nativity scene remain meaningful after so many centuries?

Reflection:

Because its central themes remain human and recognisable: birth, family, vulnerability, hope, humility and belonging.

What can the simplicity of the manger teach us?

Reflection:

That value does not always come from wealth, grandeur or perfection. Some of life's deepest meaning can be found in simple moments.

Why is preserving the Maltese presepju tradition important?

Reflection:

Because traditions carry more than objects. They transmit craftsmanship, vocabulary, memories, beliefs and cultural identity from one generation to another.

Does a presepju have to be elaborate to be meaningful?

Reflection:

No. A simple Nativity scene can communicate the same central story as an elaborate handmade landscape.

How can families keep the tradition alive?

Reflection:

By involving younger generations. Let children position a pastur, help construct part of the landscape, hear the Nativity story or learn how an older family crib was made.

19. Conclusion — More Than a Christmas Decoration

A presepju may begin with paper, wood, clay, cork, figurines and imagination.

But somewhere during its construction, something changes.

Pieces become a landscape.

Figures become characters.

A small structure becomes Bethlehem.

And an ancient story becomes present again inside a modern home.

From the famous Christmas celebration organised by Saint Francis at Greccio in 1223 to the intricate cribs created in Malta and around the world today, the Nativity scene has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to cross centuries, borders and artistic styles.

Malta has made this tradition particularly its own.

Through the għar, the pasturi, handcrafted landscapes, family traditions and community displays, generations have transformed crib-making into both a Christmas practice and an expression of cultural heritage.

But perhaps the greatest beauty of the presepju is that everything surrounding it ultimately directs us towards something very small.

A child.

A family.

A manger.

A quiet beginning.

In a season that can sometimes become dominated by shopping, rushing and spectacle, the presepju quietly invites us to look again at simplicity.

Perhaps that is why we continue building it.

We are not merely recreating Bethlehem.

We are creating a space in our own homes where, for a moment, we can remember what Christmas means to us.

Final Lesson / Takeaway

The Christmas Nativity scene reminds us that the greatest stories do not always begin in grand places. Sometimes hope enters quietly.

The Maltese presepju also teaches us something about tradition itself.

A tradition survives not simply because it is old, but because someone chooses to carry it forward.

Every time a parent opens an old box of pasturi, every time a child helps build a għar, and every time a craftsperson creates a new presepju, another link is added to that chain.

We inherit traditions from those before us — and preserve them for those who come after us.

References & Useful Links

The Holy See — Pope Francis, Admirabile Signum: On the Meaning and Importance of the Nativity Scene (2019).

An authoritative discussion of the Nativity scene, its meaning and the Greccio tradition.

https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_letters/documents/papa-francesco-lettera_ap_20191201_admirabile-signum.html

The Holy See — Pope Francis, General Audience: The Greccio Nativity, School of Simplicity and Joy (20 December 2023).

Marks eight hundred years since the Greccio Nativity of 1223.

https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/audiences/2023/documents/20231220-udienza-generale.html

University of Malta — Victor Agius, The Maltese 'presepju': cultural and educational aspects (2004).

Research examining the Maltese crib as artistic and cultural heritage and its educational role.

https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/65927

University of Malta — Joseph C. Camilleri, The Live Crib at Lija.

© 2026 Mary Lourdes Bonnici MBA. All Rights Reserved.

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