It's nearly impossible to go through December without seeing at
least one nativity scene, whether it's a set of ceramic
figurines in a private home, a life-size tableau in front of a
church, or a cast of actors in a children's pageant. And rarely
does a year go by that these representations of Jesus, Joseph,
Mary, the three wise men, some shepherds, and miscellaneous barn
animals go unmolested by vandals or unchallenged by lawsuits.
Why do people put up creches at Christmastime, anyway? Blame St.
Francis of Assisi, who is credited with staging the first
nativity scene in 1223. The only historical account we have of
Francis' nativity scene comes from "The Life of St. Francis of
Assisi," by St. Bonaventure, a Franciscan monk who was born five
years before Francis' death. According to Bonaventure's
biography, St. Francis got permission from Pope Honorious III to
set up a manger with hay and two live animals — an ox and a
donkey — in a cave in the Italian village of Grecio. He then
invited the villagers to come g