A Christmas Nativity scene inspired by a wood burning stove (pugon)?

That’s the extraordinary Belen that’s the center of the Christmas celebration  of the San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish in Mariveles, Bataan.

The concept of a Belen with the manger holding the Baby Jesus patterned after the ‘pugon’ of a bakery came from Balanga Bishop Ruperto Santos.

Santos, the acting parish priest, said the inspiration came from the patron saint of the parish and from the birthplace of Jesus Christ.

"Bethlehem means house of bread. Saint Nicholas is also known for bread. He was healed from a deadly sickness when our Blessed Mother appeared to him and instructed him to eat the bread which she gave," he said.

He said, the healing of St. Nicholas had inspired a tradition in Italy where bread is blessed and distributed to the parishioners on his feast day on Sept. 10, and on the second Sunday of Lent.

Ruby Busa, the parish secretary, also related the theme to Jesus as the "bread of life" and to prayers dedicated to the healing of those afflicted with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The Belen, which is the only one with that concept in the province, was unveiled on Dec. 15, in time for the nine-day "Simbang Gabi" (dawn mass).

Parishioners will complete the scene of the belen by bringing hay during the offertory in the Holy Masses of the Simbang Gabi, she said.

"In the past, our Belen was just the typical Belen made of 'dayami' (hay). This time it will be a bit different but the figures in the Nativity scene are the same ones we used in previous years," she added.

The Belen depicts the birth of Jesus with figures representing the Infant Jesus, His mother Mary, and Joseph. Other Nativity scenes also include the characters from the Biblical story such as the shepherds, the Magi (Three kings), and the angels.

Catholic prelates encourage families to restore the Filipino tradition of having the nativity scene in their homes.

Caceres Archbishop Rolando Tirona said that having a Belen "can help bring the family  back to Christ."

Msgr. Pedro Quitorio III, the media director of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said the Belen is the best Christmas décor that every Filipino home can have, to remind people that Christmas is about Christ.

“It should be Christ-centered. Your Christmas will be meaningless if you remove that,” Quitorio said.

He suggested that the tradition of setting up the Belen should include the chronology of the events which will also make it an experience for the members of the family.

In fact, there are still families who practice the tradition of setting up the Belen days before Christmas Eve and putting the figures as the birth of Jesus nears— putting the Infant Jesus on the manger on Christmas Day, and the Three Kings on the first Sunday after Christmas Day. 

“When you see the Belen, you are educating the people, especially the young, on what transpired that Holy Night in Betlehem,” he said.

He said the three Kings -  Melchor, Gaspar and Balthasar - should be placed in the scene together with the Holy Family on the Feast of the Three Kings which is celebrated on the first Sunday after the New Year.

The tradition of setting up the scene of the Nativity was started by Saint Francis of Assisi in 1223 who was inspired by his visit to the Holy Land.