American crèche traditions started in the 18th century with a small group of Protestant immigrants who brought their Christmas customs to their new homeland in the New World. The United Brethren from Herrnhut, commonly called the Moravians, was founded in Bohemia during the 15th century (in what is now the Czech Republic). On Christmas Eve
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How Nativity Scene Traditions Developed in America
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Meet the “God Squad” Defending Public Nativity Displays
“Our country was founded on freedom of religion, not freedom from religion,” says Jim Finnegan, the founder of American Nativity Scene. “I am not intimidated by people who say otherwise… It is rewarding to stand up to bullies.” Using the precedent-setting court case Grutzmacher vs Chicago Building Commission from 1989, which protects the rights of private
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Friends of the Creche: A Group of Nativity Scene Enthusiasts
It was when she was a college junior studying in France for a semester abroad program that Sydne Yanko-Jongbloed first saw Santons, the handmade terracotta nativity figures that depict everyday life in a traditional Provencal village. Intrigued and delighted with the details and the colors of the small figures, she purchased a set to take
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