St Francis of Assisi is said to have been the first to make a Crib. In a cave in Greccio, Italy, during Christmas 1223 he placed a real donkey and a real ox in his créche. The tradition of having a crib at Christmas became very common in Italy and France.

Many French homes at Christmas time have a crib or creche, which serves as the focus for the Christmas celebration. The creche is common in shops, towns and churches.

In the South of France, the creches are very different from the ones we are familiar with. What makes these cribs different is that they present a good deal more than the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in a stable, with the shepherds, and Magi (the Three Kings). The creche is a little village, with all the important local people and village characters as well.

Each area in France has its own way of making the figures in the crib. They may be made from wood, pastry or clay and they are painted. They may be tiny or as big as life size. The creche in peoples' homes often has little clay figures called santons or "little saints."

The miller near the mill