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By Kent Larsen
Creches, Lights, Choirs Are Public Face of Mormon Christmas
ORANGE, CALIFORNIA -- Looking at the events at LDS facilities around the
U.S., it seems the Church's public face at Christmas time is made up of
Christmas lights decorating temples and visitors centers, choirs performing
Christmas music and exhibits of nativity creches at many local chapels
around the country. The newest of these traditions is the exhibit of
nativity creches, which in the past 18 years has grown from a pioneering
exhibit in Ann Arbor, Michigan to as many as 50 annual exhibits at LDS
chapels in North America.
The original, Ann Arbor, exhibit has grown to include over 900 Christmas
creches representing 97 countries around the world. But that exhibit is no
longer the largest. An exhibit in Phoenix reportedly has more than 1,000
creches, and it is not unusual for exhibits to have several hundred creches.
Other large exhibits include one in Orange county, California, which has 700
creches, the Palo Alto, California exhibit, now in its 13th year, with more
than 500 creches, and the Midway, Utah interfaith exhibit, which also has
more than 500 creches. Attendance at these exhibits often numbers in the
thousands. See below for a list of LDS creche exhibits compiled by Mormon News.
A report in the Orange county Register traces the tradition of Christmas
creches to St. Francis of Assisi, who created the first live nativity
following a visit to the holy land. Creches, or nativities as they are also
called, became popular in the 17th century in Europe, and the tradition has
spread worldwide along with Christianity. Some of the creche exhibits
include a live nativity, and others, such as the display at the New York New
York Stake Center each year, only consist of a live nativity.
Meanwhile, the more traditional lighting of LDS temples and visitors centers
to commemorate the season continues, with lights displayed at temples both
in and out of the U.S. The Manila Philippines Temple is decorated and has a
lighting ceremony each year, as do the Los Angeles California, Mesa Arizona,
St George Utah, Oakland California and Washington DC Temples. The Salt Lake
City Temple Square lighting ceremony was cancelled this year because of
concerns over the size of crowds, but the square remains lit with lights
that, with the addition of the LDS Church's new Conference Center and its
administrative block, must now exceed 1 million.
The Washington Temple lighting ceremony is actually a diplomatic event, with
attendance restricted to those invited by the Church, and the switch turning
on the lights normally pulled by an ambassador to the US. This year the
300,000 lights were switched on by the ambassador from Jordan, Marwan J.
Muasher, one of the diplomats representing 41 countries attending the
ceremony. The Washington lights are seen by some 250,000 people each year.
The Temple's visitor center also holds a series of concerts by local musical
groups through the Christmas season and has its own, relatively small,
exhibit of Christmas creches representing 15 US states and foreign countries.
LDS choirs also celebrate the season at this time of year, many performing
multiple times. All the permanent regional LDS choirs are performing,
including the Southern California Mormon Choir, the Arizona Mormon Choir,
the Colorado Mormon Chorale, the Mormon Choir of Washington DC, and the
Richmond Chorale.
List of Creche Exhibit locations:
Tempe, Arizona
Aliso Viejo, California
La Crescenta, California
Orange County, California
Palo Alto, California
Thousand Oaks, California
Boulder, Colorado
Washington, DC
Grantville, Georgia
Columbus, Indiana
Adrian, Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Howell, Michigan
Livonia, Michigan
Midland, Michigan
Minnesota
Las Vegas, Nevada
Hampton, New Hampshire
Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Columbus, Ohio
Liberty Township, Ohio
Corvallis, Oregon
Forest Grove, Oregon
Medford, Oregon
State College, Pennsylvania
Texas
Bedford, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Midway, Utah
Providence, Utah
Provo, Utah (BYU Art Museum)
Provo, Utah
Franklin, Virginia
Oakton, Virginia
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada
Burns Lake, B.C., Canada
Chilliwack, B.C., Canada
Horsefly, B.C., Canada
Kamloops, B.C., Canada
Kelowna, B.C., Canada
Penticton, B.C., Canada
Powell River, B.C., Canada
Prince George, B.C., Canada
Salmon Arm, B.C., Canada
Vernon, B.C., Canada
White Rock, B.C., Canada
Sources:
Cradle of Nativity scenes
Orange co CA Register 3Dec00 D1
By Andre Mouchard: Orange County Register
HOLIDAY: The annual exhibit at the Mormon church in Orange has about 700 displays this year.
Lights
Washington Post 30Nov00 D1
Handel's 'Messiah'
Washington Post 30Nov00 EA1
Nativity sets on display
Philadelphia Inquirer 2Dec00 D1
Wonderland was work
(Phoenix) AZ Republic 2Dec00 D1
By Kelly Ettenborough: The Arizona Republic
Mormon light display took months
Holiday Concerts
Washington Post 30Nov00 EA1
Holiday Day by Day
Washington Post 30Nov00 E1
AROUND THE WORLD
San Francisco Chronicle 1Dec00 D1
Jordanian ambassador helps light LDS temple lights in D.C.
Deseret News 30Nov00 N1
By Lee Davidson: Deseret News Washington correspondent
Mormon Temple effort creates wonderland feel for spectators
(Phoenix) AZ Republic 24Nov00 D1
Gingerbread-house makers prepare for holiday program
Kansas City KS Star 28Nov00 D1
Mesa Temple Garden Christmas Festival
13th Annual Palo Alto Christmas Creche Exhibit
Nativity sets on display
Philadelphia Inquirer 2Dec00 D1
Articles of faith help ring in the holy season
(Phoenix) AZ Republic 1Dec00 D1
By Kelly Ettenborough: The Arizona Republic
Holiday symbols: Midway exhibit will have 500 creches from 60 countries
Deseret News 25Nov00 D1
By Carma Wadley: Deseret News senior writer
Crechefest 2000
18th Annual Christmas Creche (Nativity) Exhibit
Creative minds craft clever Nativity scenes from odd items for Colleyville church exhibit
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