The Nativity is the birth of Jesus Christ, which Christians celebrate at Christmas. When you see a nativity scene at Christmastime, with figures of Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, shepherds, and animals arranged around a manger, you're looking at a representation of this event that Christians believe happened over 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem.

The Nativity story appears in the Bible's Gospels of Matthew and Luke. According to these accounts, Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem for a census, and because there was no room at the inn, Jesus was born in a stable and laid in a manger (a feeding trough for animals). Angels announced his birth to shepherds watching their flocks nearby, and wise men followed a star to bring gifts.

The Nativity has inspired countless paintings, songs, plays, and traditions. Many churches perform nativity plays where children act out the story, and families display nativity scenes in their homes. Artists throughout history have painted the Nativity, each imagining the scene in their own way. Even people who aren't Christian often recognize nativity scenes as symbols of the Christmas season.

While nativity technically means any birth, it's most commonly used to refer specifically to Jesus' birth, often capitalized as the Nativity.