The unusually austere Christmas crèche set up this year on the esplanade in front of Chapala City Hall prompted curiosity among local inhabitants puzzled by the Holy Family’s solitary placement in an igloo-shaped stable.
In fact, the design was inspired by the Vatican’s 2023 nativity scene in Saint Peter’s Square, honoring the 800-year legacy of St. Francis of Assisi, who created the first-ever live manger scene inside a cave at Greccio, Italy.