Profs and Pints Northern Virginia presents: “How Nativity Scenes Were Born,” a look at the origins and evolution of the ubiquitous depiction of the first Christmas, with Vanessa R. Corcoran, advising dean and adjunct professor of history at Georgetown University and scholar of medieval and religious history.

The Christmas season brings forth an abundance of Nativity scenes, nearly all depicting the same thing: A small manger containing the baby Jesus and surrounded by his parents, shepherds, the three wise men, and an assortment of barnyard animals.

It’s a scene that Mary and Joseph actually might find unfamiliar. The truth is that its origins are not entirely biblical, and a fair amount of creative license played a role in its evolution into what we see displayed today. The first Nativity scene—a living one—did not appear until more than 1200 years after the birth of Christ, being the creation of St. Francis of Assisi. Many common motifs of the scenes, such as barnyard animals, did not show up until the middle ages.

Oh come all ye faithful—as well as those who aren’t—and learn the fascinating history of today’s manger scenes and creches from Professor Vanessa Corcoran, who has extensively studied how Mary and various saints were venerated over time.

Dr. Corcoran, who also has given excellent Profs and Pints talks on the Vatican, will examine in depth how our Christmas imagery and beliefs evolved away from what historically actually happened. She’ll describe how Francis of Assisi and church leaders got involved in the process, and how our image of the nativity was shaped by famous paintings and frescoes, including works by Giotto, Botticelli, and Leonardo da Vinci.

She’ll also look at debates over Nativity scenes and the politicization of them. The placement of Nativity scenes in public spaces like courthouses and at the National Christmas Tree display in front of the White House has led to a series of civic lawsuits regarding the separation of church and state and continues to be a matter of contention. Some churches have been placing cages around Jesus, Mary and Joseph as a call for immigrant justice, while others responded to the pandemic by having the Three Wise Men wear masks or carry vaccination cards.

You’ll get a sense of much our Christmas “traditions” actually are dynamic, with new being layered on top of old. It’s a talk that will be full of Christmas surprises. (Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Door: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.)

Image: A creche by the French potter Gérard Mosser. (Photo by Claude Truong-Ngoc / Wikimedia Commons.)