The Parliament has recovered this year for the Christmas festivities the nativity scene, which is added to the decorated fir trees -with label of denomination of origin of Espinelves (Osona)- that welcome you at the entrance of the old arsenal, next to the carpeted staircase that leads to the noble floor, to anyone who enters through the main door of the building.
Putting a representation of the birth of Jesus in the Catalan Chamber – in this case without caganer, since it is an institutional manger –, contrary to what it may seem, is a new tradition. It was premiered by the former president of the institution Laura Borràs and there is no temporal continuity.
Last year, when the president of Junts was also suspended and the Parliament was experiencing an interim situation, the decision-maker was the first vice president, the Republican Alba Vergés, who left the decision in the hands of the Board. The result was to place a Christmas tree without a nativity scene in order to respect the secular nature of the institution.
Then, the only representative of JxCat in the governing body of the Chamber, Aurora Madaula, second secretary of the Bureau, seconded the position of the rest, which was criticized by Borràs herself, by the former president of the Generalitat Quim Torra, a friend of the leader of Junts, and also by the Catalan Federation of Pessebrists, who expressed their discomfort. “We regret that the Parliament is not together with popular culture and the cultural heritage of our country”, they complained.
In addition to not including a nativity scene, it was considered more appropriate for the Christmas carol chosen to celebrate the holidays to talk about good wishes for the new year and not about the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Just like the greeting card, which expressed the hope that 2023 would be prosperous.
The now president of the Parliament, Anna Erra, quietly decided to put up a nativity scene again – a decision much celebrated by the nativity scene people – and has chosen the Catalan Federation of Nativity Scenes to do so, which was in charge of the assembly at the beginning of December and giving up the figures. This year’s are the work of artisan Toni Pruna, and are made with molds by his teacher, Lluís Carratalà.
Borràs will count in 2021 with the same institution and with the Pessebristes of Castellar del Vallès (Vallès Occidental), who in the municipality of Valles each year prepare an exhibition that can be visited on these dates. The figures of that year were from Carratalà himself.
This year is special for nativity scenes since it commemorates the 800th anniversary of the Christian tradition, which in each country or region has its own particularities, such as including or not the Three Wise Men – they are represented mainly in Spain – or the figure of caganer –Catalan heritage–.
The origin of the nativity scene dates back to Christmas Eve 1223, when Saint Francis of Assisi represented the birth of Jesus in a cave in Greccio (Italy), and in recent months there have already been several commemorative activities.
The Nativity tradition in Catalonia has strong popular roots. In Barcelona there has been evidence since 1862 of the existence of an association of nativity scenes which was refounded in 1921. The Ciudad Condal is one of the 16 founding entities of the Catalan Federation of Pessebrists.
In the Palau de la Generalitat it is a tradition that there has been a nativity scene since the eighties. In fact, now there is a nativity scene, a tree… and even a giant uncle who has joined with Pere Aragonès.
