Although associations across Europe are speaking out against the installation of Nativity scenes in public squares during Advent, the custom continues, with many people standing up for the centuries-old tradition. For example, a small village in France is transformed into a giant Nativity scene for a month.

Despite the push by some associations to ban Christmas Nativity scene displays in public spaces across Europe on the grounds of secularism, the custom continues. In Montpellier, France, an administrative court recently rejected the Human Rights League’s (LDH) two applications for interim injunctions demanding the removal of a Nativity scene at the town hall of Beziers.

A small village near Nice uniquely embodies the roots of this centuries-old tradition, whose creation is often attributed to St Francis of Assisi, the French newspaper Le Figaro pointed out.

Lucéram, le village provençal aux 450 crèches de Noël : « Ces gens qui veulent interdire nos crèches, on devrait leur imposer de travailler le 25 décembre »
https://t.co/G6UNR3LRku pic.twitter.com/Uss8HVvOED

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For 26 years, Luceram transforms into a giant Nativity scene for eight weeks „from 4 December to 2 February, the period when Mary was in Bethlehem”, explains Deputy Mayor Christiane Ricort, the project’s initiator. In the village of 1200 inhabitants, 33 Provencal Nativity scenes were erected back in 1998, and by this year that number has grown to more than 450.

Petit passage en revue de quelques crèches sur plus de 450 du circuit des crèches de Lucéram @VisitCotedazur @ExploreNCA #ILoveluceram #luceram #creches #CrechesDeNoel #CotedAzurFrance #georgesmiha #geozine #nicetourisme #AmbassadeursCotedAzurFrance #ExploreNiceCotedAzur pic.twitter.com/y71rVh5wXv

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Some are life-size, such as the one near the town hall, but there are also some where two angels’ wings form the archway of a covered passageway. There are also very small groups of statues on the walls or window ledges of some houses, a few even decorated with precious stones.

Une petite vidéo de l’une des crèches insolites de Luceram 🎅@VisitCotedazur @ExploreNCA#iloveluceram #Luceram #CotedAzurFrance #georgesmiha #geozine #nicetourisme #AmbassadeursCotedAzurFrance #ExploreNiceCotedAzur #creche #noel pic.twitter.com/ddem7yDJ4r

— Georges MIHA (@geozine_) December 23, 2023

„What makes it so special is that the whole village gets involved, even the mayor,” Christiane Ricort told Le Figaro.

Every year, tens of thousands of visitors come to the village to enjoy this extraordinary Christmas spectacle. So many, in fact, that, in addition to opening the Nativity Scene Museum, the town council has created an eleven-stop tour to guide visitors through the many groups of sculptures on display, whether traditional or unusual, and regardless of wood, fabrics or wrought iron decorative composition.

Some estimates tally the number of visitors at 60 000.

„This is why we still have traders. As well as the pride in our traditions and in maintaining them, it is also serves as a major draw for tourism,” confirms Michel Calmet, mayor of Luceram.

„We have every right to defend our Christian roots. In Luceram there is one church and seven chapels, that really says it all. Secularism also means tolerance. The debate around this topic saddens me,”

adds Christiane Ricort, remarking „those who want to ban Nativity scenes should be required to work on 25 December”.

The deputy mayor also recounted when she was visited by one such association in 2017, „we almost ended up in court”.

For years they have been trying to stamp out tradition

As previously reported by V4NA, banning public Nativity scenes and crushing the centuries-old tradition has been the mission of some groups for years.

However, the aforementioned first man of Beziers did not give in, even when in 2019 the leftist-liberal National Federation for Free Thought sent a notice to all county council members in the country, reminding them that Nativity scenes are not to be displayed in public buildings. Robert Menard, at that time, bucked the warning and went ahead with setting up a Nativity scene in the town hall.

The mayor said that the deputy-prefect had sent him a letter reminding him of the rules. Robert Menard replied to the letter, which was not objected to by the other party, however, the French Federation for Free Thought expressed disapproval of the Nativity scene in a public institution, saying that the mayor was committing an act of evangelizing.

A szerző már a bevezetésben megjegyzi, a betlehem egy kizáró és rasszista közösség jelképe, ahol nincs helye a másik meghallgatásának.

But Italy is no exception, with attacks on the tradition unleashed every year as soon as the Advent season begins. This year the Italian newspaper Domani questioned whether Nativity scenes were still necessary. The article entitled „Why is there still a Nativity scene in the halls of our schools?” refers to the objections of a mother who wanted to know what the point of still following Christian traditions is, Magyar Nemzet wrote.

As the author notes in the introduction, the Nativity scene is a symbol of an exclusionary and racist community, where there is no room for listening to the other.

The article has caused no small outcry among several pro-government politicians. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salivni called it shocking and shameful.

„Hands off the Nativity scene, a symbol of tradition, identity and Christianity that must be protected at all costs. Those who attempt to erase Christian values must be rebuked,”

the Lega Party’s outraged secretary-general wrote in a Facebook post. He then urged his followers to take photos of Nativity scenes in their homes, schools and public places and post them.