“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him up in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7).

Nativity scenes have been a popular tradition throughout Advent and Christmas for centuries. Like most things glorious, time-honoured and holy, it originated with a Catholic saint.

St Francis of Assisi had a special devotion to the Child Jesus and he is credited with creating the first Nativity scene on the eve of Christmas 1223.

“I want to do something that will recall the memory of that Child who was born in Bethlehem, to see with bodily eyes the inconveniences of his infancy, how he lay in the manger, and how the ox and ass stood by,” he told St Bonaventure (1221-1274), following Mass inside of a cave in Greccio, Italy.

He later set up an empty manger 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. He arranged a scene consisting of real people and animals in Greccio, after visiting the birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem.

His recreation of that first Christmas night was so popular that soon every church in Italy had its own Nativity scene.

The devotion also spread to private homes, and in modern times even to secular institutions, so much so that it’s now impossible to imagine Christmas without a Nativity scene to behold.

Various people were involved in the setting up of the crib, including Bishop Emmanuel Galea (bottom left), who built the mechanical crib, and his nephew Paul Pavia (bottom right), who provided the mechanical works for the figures. Also seen in the above pictures are Maria Ġużeppina Curmi (top left), founder of the Sisters of Jesus of Nazareth and Mother Theresa Degabriele, during whose time the crib was built.

The crib can help us understand the true meaning of Christmas

This perspective inspired the late Bishop Emmanuel Galea who, in 1947, built Malta’s first large mechanical crib recreating the Nativity of Jesus Christ at the Institute and orphanage of Jesus of Nazareth in Żejtun.

After several weeks of dedicated work, the crib was inaugurated during the festive season. His nephew Paul Pavia provided the mechanical works for the figures.

The crib was built with whatever material was available in the post-war era. Since paper offers the possibility of building a crib with very few expenses and a great deal of rewarding work, newspaper and glue were used.

Eventually, the platform of the crib was constructed from several pieces of assorted wood such as random parts of broken doors and windows found on the streets.

This crib, which is now 70 years old, has attracted many tourists and Maltese over the years. It depicts the story of the Nativity and other scenes from the five Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary.

The site of Angel Gabriel announcing the birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary is displayed in the forefront of the left window, whereas in the background Our Lady is depicted meeting her cousin Elizabeth.

Through the main window in the centre, one can admire the graceful tableau of the birth of Jesus in a grotto at Bethlehem, while the three Wise Men and several shepherds adore the newly-born Divine Child.

The third window opens upon the scene of the presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple at Jerusalem. Finally, Joseph and Mary, holding her child in her arms, are shown fleeing to Egypt on a donkey.

The crib can help us, in fact, understand the secret of true Christmas, because it speaks of humility and the merciful goodness of Christ, who “though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor” (II Corinthians 8:9). His poverty enriches those who embrace it and Christmas brings joy and peace to those who, as the shepherds, accept in Bethlehem the words of the angel: “And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger”. (Luke 2:12)

The crib will be open from Sunday, December 17 to Thursday, January 4 from 9.30am till noon and from 4 till 7pm. During this period, there will also be a bazaar open in the adjacent hall.

Photos: Jonathan Borg