the CRECHE (CRIB)

What I learned today about the history of the Creche from Mepkin Abbey, Monck's Corner, SC.  I learned that St. Frances is the one who started the tradition of displaying a creche at Christmastime.  He made a scene with real animals and people in the hills to bring people closer to understanding the birth of Christ by actually seeing the likeness of the birth.

Mepkin Abbey has an enormous display of creches from all over the world at Christmas time. Each ethnic society creates a creche in their likeness and so there are black creches in African dress as well as Mexican, so on and so forth.  They are all very beautiful.  A friend who goes there often on retreat with her husband, mailed a CD to me so that I could enjoy seeing all the different nativity scenes and figures.  I hope that one day when my hubby is feeling well that we might go there in person.  The Abbey is very beautiful and peaceful.
  Above are different pictures of some of my little nativity scenes I have collected through the years.  My favorite is the fabric figures that I sewed many years ago and decorated with jewels and beads, etc.  The background fabric has the Christmas story on the back and the manger on the front.  It has cardboard inside to create the background screen effect. I love the whole story of Christmas and seeing how other countries portray the birth of our Savior.  How do you celebrate your beliefs, I would love to hear!