Asheville – The Asheville Nativity Exhibit, entitled “Oh Tidings of Comfort and Joy: Christmas Crèches from Around the World,” returns to the First Baptist Church of Asheville next weekend. The eighth annual Asheville Nativity display is a gift to the community, coordinated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the First Baptist Church of Asheville. This Nativity exhibition can be viewed in the dining room at the First Baptist Church of Asheville from Friday, December 6, through Sunday, December 15, located at 5 Oak Street in downtown Asheville. This awe-inspiring exhibit will be open to the public on weekdays from 5 PM to 8 PM, Saturdays from 10 AM to 8 PM, and Sundays from 12 PM to 8 PM.
Past events have included participation from seven different Asheville area churches. Over 250 unique Nativity sets from seventy countries around the world will be on display. This family-friendly event features a life-size stable with costumes, allowing visitors and their children to be photographed in costume. Thousands of people attend the exhibit each year. Admission is free to view these stunning sets from more than seventy countries. Tax-deductible donations are gladly accepted for this family-friendly display.
A crèche, often called a Nativity scene, is an artistic representation of the birth of Jesus Christ. While focusing on the central figures of Mother Mary and the Christ Child, crèche artists often telescope time and place to bring together a host of earthly and heavenly participants—shepherds, animals, wise men, angels, and commoners. The Nativity scene (as well as the closely related Adoration of the Magi) traces its origins back some 1,500 years. Saint Francis of Assisi is often credited—some say erroneously—with creating the first crèche in Italy as long ago as 1223.
For centuries since, the crèche as an art form has flourished in homes and churches worldwide. Many homeowners have their beloved personal crèches that are brought out during the Christmas season, often purchased on trips to favorite countries. Others have become collectors with numerous crèches. Whether the crèche depicts 19th-century Italian villagers dressed in silks and jewels or contemporary African animal herders crafted from clay, each representation reflects the unique talents, circumstances, and culture of the artist. This exhibit is an ecumenical effort to highlight the cultural diversity of each crèche on display while honoring and celebrating the common theme that runs throughout—the birth of Jesus. This breathtaking exhibit in Asheville aims to bring light, comfort, and faith to visitors as Western North Carolina navigates the aftermath of the recent hurricane that impacted our area. Visit ashevillenativity.org for more details.
Crèche Exhibitions Elsewhere
The Washington National Cathedral has just opened its Annual Nativity Scenes Exhibit: One Family, One World: Crèches from Around the World. This exhibit will continue until January 11, 2025, and is located on the lower level (crypt). Online, they state, “The backbone of the Cathedral’s collection comes from a gift made by Beulah Sommer. She served the Cathedral in many capacities, including as a docent (tour guide) and member of the National Cathedral Association. She wanted to share the joy of this unique art form with the public. In 1998, she donated more than 600 nativity sets from her personal collection for use in the Cathedral’s crèche exhibits. The Cathedral’s collection builds on her extraordinary gift and represents the 40 years she spent collecting sets around the world. Over the years, other sets were added, with the collection now totaling approximately 800 sets.”
The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue in New York City features a Neapolitan Baroque Crèche in front of a Christmas tree in Gallery 305. The magnificently lit twenty-foot blue spruce looms over a vivid eighteenth-century Neapolitan Nativity scene, enshrined in an abundant array of lifelike figures with silk-robed angels hovering above. The scene describes in detail the Mediterranean harbor town’s multicultural society. This exhibition, which is free with museum admission, will be on display until January 6, 2025, and is made possible by the Loretta Hines Howard Fund.
A visit to see Asheville’s display of Nativity sets at the First Baptist Church, as portrayed by many craftsmen throughout the world, will undoubtedly open the door to your Christmas season. These breathtaking crèches are artfully placed, grouped by region, and beautifully lit on rich colorful fabric to bring “comfort and joy” to those who visit.