Nativity scene is part of Czech Christmas traditional symbols. Nativity scene creation originates from medieval paintings depicting the birth of baby Jesus. Celebration of his birth replaced mourning of his death. The first maker of a nativity scene is thought to be the 15th century Italian sculptor Quido Mazzoni. His nativity scenes were made of clay. The oldest mention of an exhibited nativity scene in the Czech lands comes from 1562. Although initially displayed in churches, they gradually spread into households. Folk creators used to place the scene of Christ’s birth to the environment surrounding their villages. They depicted reality combined with their own projections of exotic lands, animals, and clothing. Types and sizes of nativity scenes varied widely and can be divided into two basic categories. Box-type small scenes were stored in the attic and brought down for the purposes of Christmas caroling. Nativity scenes with figures were rather large, had to be assembled every year and used to take a decent space in households. Every year, one or more new figures were added. There are also miniature nativity scenes installed inside bottles. Materials also varied — wax was not very popular amongst people, unlike mock-ups. These figures were made out of wooden skeletons with carved heads, legs, and arms. Pieces of cloth or paper were then soaked in glue and attached to the skeletons and shaped into bodies and clothes. Figures of carved wood decorated with polychrome. The town of Králíky is famous for the production of wooden nativity scenes — hence the name “The Králická nativity scene”. Entire families would make figures about 2—15 cm tall. Every family member had a task— the carver would carve the bodies and the rest would then attach arms and decorations while helpers would color the finished figures with tempera or oil paints. The individual figures from Králíky look alike even though made by different people. Ceramic nativity scenes were made only occasionally. Various soft materials were used most frequently and poured into molds, such as dough, paper, plaster. Flour dough was easy to shape and the shape remained unchanged after drying. Fragility of the material was disadvantage as well as tendency to attract insects. Paper mixed with potatoes and plaster proved to be more durable. These types of figures were commonly sold at Christmas markets. Another type is the 2D nativity scene. They were based on wooden board nativity scenes from the 18th century. Even today, it is a very common type available in many stores. Traditional Czech nativity scene always comprises the following characters: Baby Jesus, ox, donkey, Virgin Mary, Joseph, The Magi (Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar), shepherds and sheep, figures bringing gifts for baby Jesus: vánočka (Christmas bread), goose, flour, a keg of beer…, musicians, an angel with the inscription Gloria in excelsis Deo. The entire scene is topped with the Bethlehem comet moving across the night sky. Other figures can also be found, including hunters, chimney sweepers, millers, artisans, travellers, farmers, farm helpers, pub keepers, night watchmen, goats, ducks, and children. Simply the village in its entirety.