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The fascinating story of the Christmas nativity scene: from the church to the living room
Find out how the Christmas nativity scene found its place in Carinthia since 1223 and became a tradition thanks to Emperor Joseph II.
The fascinating story of the Christmas nativity scene: from the church to the living room
The history of the Christmas nativity scene in Carinthia is as old as it is fascinating. As early as 1223, Saint Francis of Assisi is said to have set up a nativity scene in the forest. Documented evidence exists since 1252 and shows that the first nativity scenes were found in the monastery churches of Italy and Portugal. This tradition was subsequently promoted primarily by orders such as the Jesuits and Franciscans in the 16th century. But a decisive turning point came with Emperor Joseph II, who banned nativity scenes in the late 18th century. This ban was aimed at banning nativity scenes from churches as they were considered “ridiculous and childish”. Instead, nativity scenes found their way into people's living rooms and became part of domestic customs Radio Carinthia reported.
The influence of Emperor Joseph II
Joseph II was a rather controversial ruler during his reign from 1765 to 1790. Under his first major decree to abolish monasteries, nativity scenes were perceived as a nuisance and were removed from churches. These measures also met with approval from high church dignitaries. Nevertheless, the will of the people opposed these bans - people did not want to let the tradition be taken away from them. In 1804, Joseph II finally lifted his own ban, which led to the nativity scene renaissance. Since then, they have been present not only in churches, but especially in the living rooms of families, where they are set up every year, especially from Christmas Eve to Candlemas, as well as from Review is highlighted.
In the 19th century, the tradition of making nativity scenes really took off, influenced by romantic ideas. People began not only to collect nativity scenes, but also to design the corresponding figures with great attention to detail. Today there are numerous nativity scene building associations that keep the tradition alive. This craft is particularly widespread in South Tyrol and Carinthia and ensures that the artistic representations of the birth of Christ still have a permanent place in people's hearts today.