Every year, as my husband puts up the Christmas manger he built for us many years ago, I think back to the first time I discovered a ceramic goose among the small group of animals looking in on Mary and Joseph.
At the time, I laughed and thought, "Why not?" There are geese in Bethlehem, and why should sheep, oxen, donkeys, and camels be the only ones blessed with such a privilege?
Since then, each year's Nativity scene on our lawn is bound to include a new member of the menagerie—a brightly painted bullfrog, a few pelicans, a squirrel sleeping in a hammock, most of which are added by young grandchildren who do not think any animal should be left out of the most important night of all.
Considering animals' intuitive nature, it is likely hosts of angels were not the only ones gathering that evening in Bethlehem. The manger was possibly visited by geese, deer, badgers, porcupines, bats, hyenas, leopards, and even sand rats. Certainly, there were mice. The Son of God would surely welcome animals of all sizes, shapes, and natures.
Scripture exclaims, "… ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens and they will tell you, or the bushes of the earth and they will teach you, and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind" (Job 12:7-10).
However, Scripture does not mention animals' presence in the stable on the night of Jesus' birth, so tradition has added them for us.
We owe that tradition to St. Francis of Assisi, who, in 1224, planned a living recreation of the birth of Jesus to fill the local villagers with the spirit of Christmas. With real people dressed in robes and real animals gathered outside a cave on the outskirts of town, St. Francis urged the people to remove hatred from their hearts and rejoice in the season of Christ's birth.
Along with his live nativity scene, Saint Francis also used music to teach his flock about the birth of Jesus Christ. Tradition credits St. Francis with adding religious lyrics to popular tunes and creating the first Christmas carols.
There is also a tradition that, at the birth of Christ, even the animals bowed down.
Thomas Hardy, the famed poet and novelist, immortalized the image in his poem, The Oxen:
Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock.
"Now they are all on their knees,"
An elder said as we sat in a flock
By the embers in hearthside ease.
We pictured the meek mild creatures where
They dwelt in their strawy pen,
Nor did it occur to one of us there
To doubt they were kneeling then.
(Excerpt)
Of course, we have no proof of such a thing, but the idea reflects the words of the Psalmist: "All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing the praises of your name" (66:4).
Mary Regina Morrell is a Catholic journalist, author, and syndicated columnist who has served the dioceses of Metuchen and Trenton, New Jersey, and RENEW International in the areas of catechesis and communication.