11 Crib

Crib at Lancaster Cathedral

At Christmas, cribs are displayed in Churches, schools, homes, shops and town centres as a reminder of what Christmas is really about – the birth of Jesus, the Son of God. A crib shows the stable scene where Jesus was born with the figures of Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, shepherds and kings.

The first crib was created in 1223 AD by St Francis of Assisi who wanted to show people that the Son of God was born in a very poor setting. There were no rich clothes to dress him in and no comfortable cot in which he could sleep. Animals would have provided the only warmth in the draughty stable. This humble start set the scene for Jesus' life and his teachings.