Less room in the stable: Nacimientos (nativity scenes) a fading tradition?
By Jesús Ibarra

San Miguel de Allende is a cradle of traditions, most of them related in some way to religious observance.

On the Friday before Holy Week, doors, windows, fountains and squares are adorned with the purple and white colors of the Virgin of Sorrows altars. On November 2, Day of the Dead altars bedecked in their traditional purple and orange light the way home to spirits all over the city. One tradition, however, seems to be disappearing: the large nacimientos (nativity scenes) that during the 1970s used to be displayed in several downtown windows. If they are not completely absent, their scale has been considerably diminished.

Lack of time and space and the growth of the city are some factors that have led to the diminution of this Christmas tradition. The introduction of foreign traditions such as the Christmas tree, which is easier to set and maintain than a nacimiento, has also had an impact. Most of the current small nativity scenes have been relegated to a dark corner at home or to a place under the lighted tree. Even the traditional clay or wooden figures used in the former large nacimientos have been replaced by small polymer figurines, even compact nativity scenes made in China.

However, some sanmiguelenses who grew up with the tradition of nacimientos still try to hold onto or to revive it. The local government, through the Education and Culture Department, supports the nacimiento tradition with a life-sized nativity scene set up in the Jardín during the Christmas season.  
 
 
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