But you see, Italians are nothing if not highly literal people; especially given their long history of language, discourse and oratory, starting with Latin and Lord knows what languages even before. And so it is with their manger scenes.
When I first came to Italy, I thought all those presepe showing an old Giuseppe and his young wife looking fondly down on a heap of hay, standard issue donkey, sheep and even the Three Kings in the distance, was simply yet another indication of Italians' poor planning: Someone clearly had forgotten the Baby Jesus!!!
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| Who stole Baby Jesus?picture from GodsDiscussion.com |
After seeing this a few more times, I thought: 'Okay, who stole the Baby Jesus?!!'
But then, I finally figured it out: This is a country in which article after article, conversation after conversation, they feel the need to warn you prior to making a joke or a cynical statement, just in case the meaning is lost on you - so you don't take it literally. [I always envision this practice much like the Robot in Lost in Space: “Danger! Guglielmo Robinson! Giovanni said, with a note of irony…”] In Italy, unless forewarned, and if no hidden meaning is implied, they take the sentence for what it is fully worth.And so, little Baby Jesus never shows up on the manger scene until the stroke of midnight. Although, in their search for authenticity, something is always a bit amiss. You will always find him looking more like an 18 month old, than a cone-headed red-faced newborn; bright-eyed and chubby on Christmas morn.
Incredibly, to add to the veracity of the scene, I have only recently discovered that those three kings, though smaller in size, to represent distance, actually creep up day by day, until January 6th (the Epiphany, for you pagans out there) when they bestow their gifts on the Baby Jesus.
What I don’t get in all of this figurative placement is why, then, they don’t swap a very pregnant Mary for a less pregnant mamma (and perhaps decidedly exhausted one due to labor pains whilst riding a donkey) the next day, too. I guess they don't take it that literally, after all.
Buon Natale a Tutti!
F. Maggi @IrreverentItaly
(decidedly not Magi, like those three wise men!)
(decidedly not Magi, like those three wise men!)
4 comments:
this is what you get when half your State budget is reserved for the "arts", something in America one would not find.
And look what that's done to America!!! They cut the funding and spend it on Iraq...Art is our Petrolium...(with or without the Baby Jesus)
Frankly this is the way it's always been done in our family... the Baby Jesus is a separate piece, and he doesn't land in the manger until Christmas Day.
For those that don't know their Catholic Faith and Creche History here are some answers.
1. St. Francis is credited with putting a live "Baby Jesus" in the scene taken from the arms of a parishioner. Ergo 18 month old.
2. Since Mary is "Full of Grace", ergo without sin. Their were no labour pains.
3. Please a little re-write would be appreciated.
4. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Un abbraccio forte!
Davide
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