By Bohol Island News Staff | 01:23 PM December 06, 2019
The Holy Family remains the focus of this year’s Belenismo in Bohol after the provincial government opened the “Belen Design Contest” at the CPG Park in Tagbilaran City on Thursday night, December 5.
There are 14 municipalities which participated in this years’ contest which showcased the richness of the Boholano Christmas culture, traditions and heritage .
A “belen” is a recreation of the biblical tale of the birth of Jesus Christ in a stable after his parents, Joseph and Mary, were turned away by an innkeeper.
“Belinismo” is Spanish for the art of making a Belen. Its origin goes back to 1223 when St. Francis of Assisi, then a deacon built the first one.
Inspired by a visit to the Holy Land where he’d been shown the traditional birthplace of Jesus, Saint Francis of Assisi, created the first nativity scene display at Greccio, in central Italy, in the 1200s. The exhibit, blessed by Pope Honorius III, was an attempt to place the emphasis of Christmas on the worship of Christ rather than secular materialism and gift giving.
Since then, the birth of Jesus has been depicted in various forms and continues to be interpreted in modern artistic forms around the world.
The Belen display will run until December 15, 2019 as part of the KASADYA! Pasko sa Bohol activity.
