Question regarding nativities, ie baby Jesus

[ericka1701]

I keep realizing that there are some gaps in my knowledge of tradition and the reasoning behind the tradition of the Catholic Church, as this question will show…

I know that in nativity sets outside of Catholic churches and in Catholic households, baby Jesus isn’t usually placed until December 24 at midnite or December 25. I know this has to do with the fact that Jesus wasn’t (traditionally) born until that date, and it is premature to place him in a nativity set before that date. However, this small amount of knowledge has made the whole issue as clear as mud to me.

Is there anything that specifically states the time that Jesus should be put with a nativity? My mom, the non-Catholic, has put him out already (and I keep hiding him, and she keeps putting him back… It feels kind of like a Passover Seder and we keep hiding the afikoman).

Thanks, and God Bless!

Ericka

 

[SMHW]

This is purely tradition with a small “t”. And it was never practiced by all Catholics. When I was growing up in the 1960’s most Catholic families that I knew had baby Jesus set out just as soon as the nativity set was put up.

I do know that certain cultures had different traditions. And I know now that I am older that other people my age had the tradition of waiting to place Jesus in the creche until Christmas Eve.

But I can assure you that it was NOT part of my upbringing and I am a cradle Catholic with twelve years of Catholic schooling.

 

[benedictgal]

There are some Mexican devotionals that do not put the infant Jesus into the manger until December 24th. The traditional practice is to leave him in the manger until February 2nd. On Christmas Eve, families get together, have a fiesta, eat lots of tamales and then place the infant Jesus in the manger. Then, they head off to Midnight Mass. My grandfather’s cousin (he was half German, half Mexican) would do that. In fact, that was the first event that my newly engaged parents (Italian dad) attended. It kind of weirded my dad out, but, he enjoyed the food. My parents took me to this when I was a small child, but, after telling my grandfather’s cousin that her house was dirty, I don’t think I ever went again.

I figured if the Church doesn’t place the infant Jesus in the manger until Midnight Mass, that is what I should do as well. I believe that the infant Jesus isn’t even placed in the manger at the life-sized Nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square until Midnight Mass.

Just a little FYI: the Nativity Scene comes from St. Francis of Assisi who decided to set up a creche in an Assisi church for those faithful who could not make the pilgrimage to the sacred sites in the Holy Land. The custom took off like wildfire.