Nativity

References

Nativity

Christianity

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 1, 2026

Quick Summary

The Nativity refers to the birth of Jesus Christ, a central event in Christianity. This event is celebrated by Christians as a symbol of divine love and hope.12

The biblical account in the Gospel According to Matthew describes a celestial phenomenon, the Star of Bethlehem, which guided the "wise men" to the infant Jesus in Bethlehem. Various natural events, such as comets, meteors, or planetary conjunctions, have been proposed as possible explanations for this star.3

Artistic depictions of the Nativity, known as the Nativity theme, began in the 4th century CE. These artworks portray the newborn Jesus with the Virgin Mary and other figures, evolving over centuries with different iconographic representations. The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, built over the traditional site of Jesus' birth, is the oldest church in the Holy Land and a significant pilgrimage site.45

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

5 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Christianity
Christian practice in the modern world
…on the night of the Nativity, the ritual drama builds toward the moment when the altar-giver opens her home to Joseph and Mary. As Mother Mary prepares to give birth to Jesus, the hostess readies her home, heart, and community so that they may become fit dwelling places for the…
Read More
…on the night of the Nativity, the ritual drama builds toward the moment when the altar-giver opens her home to Joseph and Mary. As Mother Mary prepares to give birth to Jesus, the hostess readies her home, heart, and community so that they may become fit dwelling places for the…
Read More

Las Posadas
…Mary were forced to seek shelter in a stable, where the Christ Child was born. Las Posadas has countless regional variations, but commonly features nightly processions that, for many Roman Catholics, are undertaken as a novenario (novena)—a spiritual devotion of reciting a set form of prayer for nine consecutive days—that…
Read More
…Mary were forced to seek shelter in a stable, where the Christ Child was born. Las Posadas has countless regional variations, but commonly features nightly processions that, for many Roman Catholics, are undertaken as a novenario (novena)—a spiritual devotion of reciting a set form of prayer for nine consecutive days—that…
Read More

chronology
Christian
…as before or after the Nativity, those before being denoted bc (before Christ) and those after by ad (anno Domini, “in the year of the Lord”). Chronologers admit no year zero between 1 bc and ad 1. The precise date of commencing the annual cycle was widely disputed almost until…
Read More
…as before or after the Nativity, those before being denoted bc (before Christ) and those after by ad (anno Domini, “in the year of the Lord”). Chronologers admit no year zero between 1 bc and ad 1. The precise date of commencing the annual cycle was widely disputed almost until…
Read More

The Story of Christmas
Christmas According to Scripture
…centers on the birth, or Nativity, of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. It marks the event in which God became human, born as a helpless baby in a stable for livestock. A key moment in the story of salvation, the humble birth of Christ…
Read More
…centers on the birth, or Nativity, of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. It marks the event in which God became human, born as a helpless baby in a stable for livestock. A key moment in the story of salvation, the humble birth of Christ…
Read More