7 Interesting Facts About Christmas
St. Francis Created the First Manger Scene
The nativity scene, or manger scene, is a common decoration for the Christmas season. It is believed to have been originated by St. Francis of Assisi.
According to Franciscan monk St. Bonaventure, St. Francis created a living nativity scene in 1223 at a cave in the village of Grecio in modern day Italy.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"He set up an empty manger (the feeding trough of farm animals which served as Jesus' crib) inside a cave, and even included a live ox and donkey beside the manger just as it was believed to have happened on that first Christmas night," noted the website Catholic Company.
"Through these visual aids he wanted everyone to impress more deeply into their understanding how Christ came into the world in such poverty and simplicity."
