The Christmas crib is a reproduction of how you imagine how it looked in the stable in Bethlehem with the oxen, sheep’s and the mules. Even the surroundings and of course Josef, Mary and the baby boy Jesus who lay wrapped in his crib. The three holy Kings and all the angels are there. Francisco by Assisi first showed the first known crib in the village Greccio in the middle of Italy, but already in the 400 – century the so-called original crib in a shape of some wood pieces as relic in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, were you still today can watch them. The stable cribs in Palestine wasn’t made out of wood they were made out of clay during the time Jesus was borne. As a special form of art the Christmas crib been created in Italy, when during 1700 made extravagant creations of the crib.

In Sweden the cribs were at first introduced in the catholic surroundings (the first time in Stockholm 1803) and were fore a long time regarded as typical catholic. The first time a Christmas Crib was showed in a Swedish church was in 1929 and the church Sankt Petri Kyrka in Malmö, but already in1906 had Ersta deaconess house after the German model arranged one and under 1930 – were they in the congregation halls in Stockholm.

 From Malmö and Stockholm  they have been spread out over Sweden as a churchly Christmas tradition.