Christmas is one of the most important days of the year, particularly for Christians. The celebration of Christmas means the celebration of Jesus Christ's birth, or nativity, and this unique event has been depicted by many generations since, in remembrance of God's love for man.

The first description of the events that surrounded Christ's birth can be found in the Bible, particularly in the books Matthew and Luke. In these gospels, the story is told of Jesus being born in a cattle trough or manger, and then being visited by shepherds and wise men, who were guided by a bright star which shone directly over Jesus' birthplace. The descriptions in Matthew and Luke have inspired the recreations of the nativity since, although some depictions contain minor changes, they all retain the essential beauty and love of the scene.

The first nativity scene was believed to have been created by Saint Francis of Assisi in 1223. It was a pantomime, using live actors, and its purpose was to inspire worship in Christ. Soon after, many communities had staged their own pantomimes, and this later evolved to become nativity sets, composed of static models that use materials such as wax or ivory, dressed in rich clothes, and often set against beautiful landscapes.

Static nativity sets are more common in modern era, inside homes. Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus are depicted by statues in these sets. The more standard sets contain more characters like; the wise men, the shepherds and even the animals and the angels.

Other versions of nativity sets have variations, often without any Biblical support. These may include figures of the apostles, Satan, or Adam and Eve. Although these characters are Biblical they were not at the original scene of the nativity. Although these sets are not factually accurate, they are still representative of the nativity's significance in Christianity.

With the Christmas day approaching, there are many shops that start selling the nativity sets like Jim shore. These stores also carry a large stock of ornaments and figurines that comes with every essential thing that you may need to set a perfect nativity scene, even at home. Do some on line search to locate a store in your area. Visit these stores to find a suitable scene for your home.

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