22 December - Where did the Christmas crib scene originate?

It's that time of year now, when families start to visit church to take part in a crib service. The children among the congregation are invited to place the kings, shepherds, et al, into a pre-prepared stable scene. Actually there's one outside the church opposite my house. But where does this practice of recreating the Nativity tableau come from?

Well, as you can imagine, What is Myrrh Anyway? has the answers, but just to give you a taster... One man is credited with creating the Christmas crib more than any other, and that is the thirteenth-century Saint Francis of Assisi (and it's not his only connection to Christmas either).

In 1220, Francis made the pilgrimage to Bethlehem. While there, he saw how Christmas was celebrated in the town of Jesus’ birth and was so impressed that he asked the Pope, Honorious III, if he might recreate something like it in his own Italian home of Greccio.

With the help of a local landowner, Gionvanni Velita, and his friends, Francis succeeded in creating his own representation of the Nativity in a cave, surrounded by candles. Details over the actual participants in his Nativity scene vary, with some saying that Francis used statues to represent the holy family, while others say claim that real people, dressed in appropriate costumes, fulfilled the role. However, all the sources agree on the fact that at the centre of the scene was a straw-filled manger surrounded by real animals.

These days, most families have to settle for a wooden replica if they want to recreate a crib scene in their own home. In 1562 the Jesuits put up a crib in Prague, and this is considered to be the first crib of the modern kind.

In different countries the traditional Nativity scene has different names, of course. In Italy it is known as presepe or presepio; in Portuguese it is known as presépio, in Catalan it's the pessebre, in Spanish the name goes between El Belén (for Bethlehem, where Jesus was born) and also Nacimiento, Portal or Pesebre. The Maltese name is Presepju and the Czech names are betlém and jesličky. In Poland it is known as szopka, from Polish for 'small crib', in Croatian it is jaslice. In the Philippines, it is called a Belen (due to Spanish Influence). The Dutch name kerststal refers to the stable in which Jesus was born. The Scandinavian words julkrubba (Swedish) and julekrybbe (Norwegian and Danish) are made from the words for yule and manger. And in Russian and Ukrainian culture there was a type of portable Christmas puppet theatre called vertep, known in Belarus as batleyka, from 'Bethlehem'. So there you go.

12 December - Poinsettia, the Christmas plant

Today, 12 December, in the US, it is Poinsettia Day. The Poinsettia, with its distinctive red and green leaves, is a staple among Christmas decorations around the home these days, but how did this practice start?

The plant was know to the Aztecs, and in Nahuatl it is called cuitlaxochitl meaning 'star flower'. In Chile and Peru, in time the plant came to be known as the 'Crown of the Andes'. But it's association with Christmas goes back to 16th century Mexico. There it was called the 'Flower of the Holy Night', and from the 17th century, Franciscan monks included the plants in their Christmas celebrations.

The plant was brought to America by Dr Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first American ambassador to Mexico, and it was renamed in his honour - hence Poinsettia.

Did you know...?

The town of Encinitas in California is known as the Poinsettia capital of the world because of the profusion of plants found there.

Saint Francis and the wolf of Gubbio

I have recently returned from a trip to Umbria in Italy. While I was there I visited the medieval towns of Gubbio and Assisi, both of which have associations with Saint Francis, who gets a far few mentions in What is Myrrh Anyway?

Most people know about Francis’ fondness for animals and how he preached to the birds but have you heard the legend of Saint Francis and the Wolf? This is a legend which didn’t make it into What is Myrrh Anyway? so I thought I’d share it with you here.

While Francis was staying in the town of Gubbio, he learned of a wolf that was terrorising the area. This beast was so ravenous that it not only killed and ate animals, but attacked people too. People had already taken up arms against the wolf and gone after it, but any who encountered the wolf were killed. The people of Gubbio were so afraid that they dared not leave the safety of the town, and kept their doors and windows shut and bolted.

Francis took pity on the people but also the wolf as well, and set out to resolve the issue. The people warned Francis not to put himself at risk but he insisted that God would take care of him. A brave friar and several peasants decided to accompany Francis beyond the relative safety of the town gates, but the peasants soon became terrified and refused to go any further.

Francis and the friar were forced to walk on alone. Suddenly the wolf, jaws wide open, bounded out of the woods at ran at the two holy men, intent on tearing them limb from limb. Without any hesitation, Francis made the sign of the Cross before the wolf and the savage creature immediately slowed down and closed its mouth.

Francis called out to the wolf: ‘Come to me, Brother Wolf. I wish you no harm.’ At that moment the wolf lowered its head and lay down at the saint’s feet, as meek as a lamb. Francis went on: ‘Brother Wolf, I want to make peace between you and the people of Gubbio. They will harm you no more and you must no longer harm them. All past wrongs are to be forgiven.’

The wolf showed its assent by moving its body and nodding its head. Then to the absolute surprise of the gathering crowd, Francis asked the wolf to make a pledge. As the saint extended his hand to receive the pledge, so the wolf extended its front paw and placed it into his hand. Francis invited the wolf to follow him into town to make a peace pact with the townspeople. The wolf followed willingly.

By the time the wolf and the saint reached the town square, every inhabitant of the town was there to witness the miracle. Francis offered the people of Gubbio peace on behalf of the wolf, and they in turn promised to look after the wolf.

From that day on the people kept the pact they had made. The wolf lived for two years among the townspeople, going from door to door for food. It hurt no one and no one caused the animal any harm in return; even dogs did not bark at it. When the wolf finally died of old age, the people of Gubbio were greatly saddened. The wolf’s peaceful ways had been a living reminder to them of the wonders, patience, virtues and holiness of Saint Francis. It had been a living symbol of the power and providence of the living God.

This statue of Saint Francis and the wolf can be seen in the Italian town of Gubbio, in Umbria.