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Crèche Collection of the Marian Library, International

International Crèche Collection of the Marian Library

Mexican nativity with large yellow sombreros and festive colors
Recreating the scene of Christ's birth is one of the most tender and enduring Christmas traditions. It has its origin in the Middle Ages, but came to bloom as popular culture only in the 17/18th centuries. Originally rooted in three centers (Naples; the Provence, France; and Southern Germany and Austria), nativity sets have spread all over the world, thanks, not least, to missionary efforts. Contemporary culture, with its noted preference for the visual and tactile, seems to have rediscovered this form of popular religious art.

In late summer of 1994, The Marian Library/International Marian Research Institute at the University of Dayton began an earnest effort to collect various contemporary cultural expressions of the nativity scene. To date, the collection holds more than 3,600 crèches from many parts of the world, some of them on permanent display in the Marian Library's Crèche Museum. However, collecting and displaying is not an end in itself. The Marian Library uses its crèches to promote the study of culture and religion, and has set the following goals: to show how strongly and permanently culture and religion influence and enrich each other, to pinpoint some of the psychological and sociological implications of the Christmas tradition to highlight the aesthetic dimension of religious culture and to make better known the meaning of the Christmas event.

The development of The Marian Library's Crèche Collection was and is entirely based on the generous contributions of friends and donors. The collection has developed into an ongoing project which finds expression in academic research and courses. The nativity sets of the Marian Library's Crèche Collection celebrate the Incarnation through the styles, expressions and traditions of peoples across the globe.
 

International Collection with images and descriptions

Select a country from the list to view images of crèches from that country photographed in their unique settings. Descriptions, written by Father Johann Roten, S.M., accompany each.

Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bolivia
Brazil
Burkina-Faso
Cameroon
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Congo
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Finland
France
Germany
Ghana
Guyana
Haiti
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Italy
Ivory Coast
Japan
Kenya
Korea
Madagascar
Mexico
Nepal
Nigeria
Palestine
Paraguay
Peru
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Russia
Rwanda
Singapore
Slovakia
South Africa
Spain
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
United Kingdom
United States 
United States Pueblo (New Mexico)
Venezuela
Zimbabwe

 

All About Mary includes a variety of content, much of which reflects the expertise, interpretations and opinions of the individual authors and not necessarily of the Marian Library or the University of Dayton. Please share feedback or suggestions with marianlibrary@udayton.edu.

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