The first true Nativity scene is generally credited to St. Francis of Assisi in the 13th century, though the birth of Christ had been depicted in art since the early centuries of the Church. Since then, different cultures and countries have taken the Nativity and added their own spin to it.

Many credit Naples, Italy, as the real beginning of the Nativity set as an art form. In the 18th century, Neapolitan families would actually compete to create the most elaborate and intricate scenes. These scenes were not necessarily Biblically accurate, and often depicted everyday activities of village life as well.

In the United States, there is a regional variant on the traditional Nativity set. German Moravian communities in Pennsylvania created what was called a “putz” at the foot of their Christmas tree. These intricate miniature scenes expanded over the years to include not only the Nativity scene but also other important Biblical stories, such as Noah’s Ark. Over time, these miniature worlds began to encompass the secular world as well, becoming an entire Christmas village.

Perhaps even more elaborate than the American Christmas village is another derivative of the Nativity set, originating in Kraków, Poland, in the 19th century. Called the szopka krakowska, this folk art form sets the birth of Christ among the city’s historic buildings. Bright colors, glittering foil, and the prominence of the architecture in the background are typical. Kraków even holds an annual szopka competition, and entries can stand as tall as two meters (about six and a half feet)!

One of the most famous Nativity sets is one that began relatively recently. In 1982, Pope John Paul II started the annual tradition of placing a Nativity scene on display beside the Christmas tree in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City.

As well as static Nativity sets, from the extravagant to the humble, there are also live Nativity scenes, which grew out of medieval religious plays. In some places, these live tableaux involve a procession to a final destination; other times they are more involved re-enactments. Read more in our article on outdoor Nativity sets around the world.

Whatever your take on the Nativity, there is no doubt that there are many powerful and creative interpretations of the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. Browse our outdoor Nativity sets to create your own.