Christmas cribs (manger scenes, nativity sets) in the Internet

(This side is automatically translated - please excuse all the mistakes!)

Crib, manger scene (old-high-German krippa, originally wattlework),

Cribs are found in Germany in all catholic churches. They are build in the advent season, whereby the holy family is not set up until in Christmas. The wise men from the morning country (the 3 kings) are included frequently already before the 6th of January into the crib landscape, but they achieve the stable however only on this day. The special organization of the crib landscape has an old tradition in many municipalities and the structure is made over years by the same person and even also " further-left ". Many cribs are structured in such a way and decorated in affectionate and lengthy work.

History

According to the religious tradition, it was the holy Franziskus, which in the year 1223 as the first carried out the idea of a plastic representation of the Weihnachtsgeschichte around Christi birth. Only many later however, toward end 17. and in the 18th century, the Christmas crib than actual became popular as reconstruction of the large event, which was fantasyful and realistically at the same time. The art of Christmas cribs particularly developed in Neapel under installation course of elements from the sculptor art, architecture and the folklore.

African Nativity Scenes

In Christian areas of Africa wonderful Nativity Scenes were created out of different materials mostly wood. See some examples on my Art from Africa page.

Literature

Interesting

Weihnachtskrippe in the zoo

At the Nikolaustag was it so far: One hundred shining and surprised pairs of eyes of children of a catholic kindergarten. They had come into the zoo, in order to stay to an attendance with the individual zoo animals also with the Weihnachtskrippe in the child zoo. The Weihnachtskrippe was developed in this year to the zwoelften mark in a Stallung of the child zoo and opened at the Nikolaustag. And too all astonishment participated the Nikolaus in its red coat and boiling that, white beard also, in order to out-assign its gifts from the bring along bags. Untermalt of besinnlicher music and with the light of hundreds of candles on the many fir trees shows up the Christian Weihnachtsgeschehen in the midst of a Tierstallung. The life-large figures, Maria and Josef, the Christkindle in the wood crib lined with straw and the being astonished shepherd boys framed of the " genuine " animals of the child zoo: The Hinterwaelder cattle from the Black Forest, the threatened barrier oh sheep, the Lamas, dwarf goats and Shetlandponys.
(zoo of the city Karlsruhe)