1/5 Atmospheric nativity scene in St. John’s
It’s back: the traditional nativity scene in St. John’s in Den Bosch. Every year, around 80,000 visitors walk through the nativity scene in the cathedral. Walk, because it is not just a nativity scene with Jesus, Joseph and Mary. It is quite a story with dolls and stuffed animals that you walk through. And this year they are having a party, because the first nativity scene was invented eight hundred years ago.
Jack Kradolfer (69) proudly shows the nativity scene in St. John’s Cathedral. He worked on the mega nativity scene together with thirty other volunteers for three months. Open to everyone from Sunday, but Jack couldn’t wait to show ‘his’ Christmas story now.
“We worked on this for 1800 hours, I’m glad it’s now finished.”
Since 2014 he has been helping to build the nativity scene in St. John’s. “The visitor is part of our nativity scene,” says Jack. Before you arrive at the cave with Jesus, you walk through different landscapes. You will come across a stuffed camel, llama, cat, dog, sheep, ox and donkey.
You can hear the water flowing from far away. A waterfall and lake have been constructed. “Water represents life, water is life for people,” Jack explains. But all this must be done with the utmost caution. St. John’s Cathedral is more than 800 years old. “Everything we build is loose, nothing is attached or in the church. We worked on this for 1800 hours. I’m glad it’s done now.”
“The nativity scene had to be more beautiful than ever, and that was achieved.”
The volunteers have recreated a town with a clock tower. When you leave the village, you will see the nativity scene. This time with one extra person, namely monk Francis of Assisi. In 1223 he invented the nativity scene as we know it today. “And that’s why he gets to put Jesus in the manger,” says Jack. “He brought attention to the Christmas story eight hundred years ago in the Italian village of Greccio with a living nativity scene. That is very special.”
Plebaan Vincent Blom, the pastor of St. John’s Cathedral, has been walking through the Christmas story in his cathedral every day for months. “It’s beautiful, so beautiful this year. That is also necessary in this anniversary year. The nativity scene in St. John’s had to be more beautiful than ever and that was achieved.”
“It started with a hit-and-run kitten.”
The nativity scene in St. John’s Cathedral has been famous since the 1950s for its many stuffed animals. “It started with a knocked-over kitten that was brought to one of my predecessors,” says Plebaan Blom. By the way, that cat is still in the nativity scene with Jesus.
“For a Catholic, Easter is the most important period. The most atmospheric period is celebrating Christmas here in Sint-Jan,” says Blom with a smile. The nativity scene can be visited from Sunday to Sunday January 14. The entrance is 2.50 euros.