Christmas Nativity Vienna

Collector's Bible on Christmas Nativities.

Saint Francis of Assisi is often credited with being the first to create a live nativity scene, in 1223. He did it to promote the worship of Christ. He had come back from The Holy Land, where he had been shown the traditional birthplace of Jesus. The scene was so popular that it inspired communities throughout Catholic countries to stage similar pantomimes.

The series discovers Christmas Nativities in several European countries and the United States.

As the Christmas tree is an old Christian German tradition, we include some of this material here. The Christmas tree tradition started in Germany in the 16th century as an accessory to the live church Nativity plays, see the series about Christmas Nativity. They were originally "Paradise Trees", decorated with apples, nuts, berries and candles. Devout Christians over time integrated these "Paradise Trees" in their homes as their own religious and cultural celebration.

The Christmas tree tradition has taken on a life of its own, independent of the Christmas Nativity.