Month: December 2023

Beauty and the Birth of Jesus

When Brian Showalter heard about Nativities and the Natural World, University of Dayton’s annual Christmas exhibit at the Roesch Library with more than 100 nativity scenes from 31 countries, he knew it was the perfect activity for his second-grade Cub Scout troop.

“I try to make scouting about experiencing new and different things,” he said. “The exhibit was an excellent opportunity for the boys to see how different cultures from around the world celebrate and express reverence for the birth of Jesus.”

Rachel Henderson, a mother of one of the cub scouts, helped chaperone the group and brought her two older children along for the experience. “I wanted to share with them the beauty of art and the birth of Jesus at the same time,” she said.

And what did the boys enjoy the most? “The Scouts loved the scavenger hunt, an activity that had them searching for a specific item in each exhibit,” said Showalter, who is from Centerville, OH. “This gave them a chance to examine each display and observe differences that might not be obvious at first glance.”

Showalter and Henderson were both amazed by the creativity and materials used to make the nativities, “everything from clay to wood to paper,” said Showalter.

Kerri Haynes, a religion teacher at St. Luke School in Dayton, decided to bring her 3rd-grade students to the exhibit. “They enjoyed seeing all of the manger scenes from around the world and especially loved making paper poinsettia ornaments and coloring nativity cards to bring home to their families.”

For Haynes, this was also an opportunity to celebrate the 800th anniversary of nativity scenes, which started in 1223 when St. Francis of Assisi began the tradition to highlight the birth of Jesus and the significance of the Incarnation. “This is a beautiful exhibit,” said Haynes, “with something for children and adults to enjoy together.”

Henderson agreed. “I wanted my children to see how God can inspire people to do beautiful things. Most uplighting was how the Holy Family has touched people across the globe. It was a great experience for everyone!”

The free nativity exhibit is open in Roesch Library until Jan. 12, 2024. New this year, audio tours are available for each gallery, and family-friendly interactive stations enable visitors to create Christmas ornaments and decorate a Nativity scene Christmas card. Click here for more information.