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Baby Jesus theft
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Baby Jesus theft
Baby Jesus theft is the theft of figurines of the infant Jesus from outdoor public and private nativity displays during the Christmas season. It is an "enduring (and illegal) practice" according to New York Times journalist Katie Rogers, "believed to be part of a yearly tradition, often carried out by bored teenagers looking for an easy prank." Sometimes these are stolen for resale, other times the associated pranks are more involved and include dropping it off somewhere else.
The prevalence of such thefts has caused some owners of outdoor manger scenes to protect their property with GPS devices or surveillance cameras, or to remove baby Jesus from the displays outside of specific requests or public showings. Occasionally the figurines are returned.
In 2012 and 2014 a baby Jesus was stolen from displays in North Vancouver, the latter one a storied figurine that had been on display for 50 years in Vancouver's St. Vincent's Hospital. Father John Horgan, the pastor of the church which hosted the display, said "It’s a terrible day if we have to microchip the Christ child."
In 2019 a baby Jesus figurine was stolen twice in one month from a church in St. John's, Newfoundland.
During some Christmases of the first decade of the 21st century, a baby Jesus statue was often stolen from the outdoor nativity scene in Jönköping in Sweden, once thrown into the nearby lake of Vättern. This has led to the nativity scene, resembling a wooden stable, being closed by nights.
Nativity scene thefts, generally including the theft of the baby Jesus, have been reported across the United Kingdom. In Wales, a baby Jesus was stolen two years in a row from a city center nativity scene in Cardiff.
In the village of Abernethy, Perth and Kinross, the baby Jesus is replaced by a Shrek doll as part of an annual tradition originating in 2020.
On 22 December 2021, the baby Jesus from the nativity scene in Preston, Lancashire was stolen as the display was vandalised and found without a baby Jesus the next morning. In hopes of the baby Jesus returning, local councillors published a tweet asking for the baby Jesus to be returned anonymously to the Town Hall before Christmas Day. The baby Jesus was found by local restaurant owners and returned in time for Christmas Day.[citation needed]
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Baby Jesus theft
Baby Jesus theft is the theft of figurines of the infant Jesus from outdoor public and private nativity displays during the Christmas season. It is an "enduring (and illegal) practice" according to New York Times journalist Katie Rogers, "believed to be part of a yearly tradition, often carried out by bored teenagers looking for an easy prank." Sometimes these are stolen for resale, other times the associated pranks are more involved and include dropping it off somewhere else.
The prevalence of such thefts has caused some owners of outdoor manger scenes to protect their property with GPS devices or surveillance cameras, or to remove baby Jesus from the displays outside of specific requests or public showings. Occasionally the figurines are returned.
In 2012 and 2014 a baby Jesus was stolen from displays in North Vancouver, the latter one a storied figurine that had been on display for 50 years in Vancouver's St. Vincent's Hospital. Father John Horgan, the pastor of the church which hosted the display, said "It’s a terrible day if we have to microchip the Christ child."
In 2019 a baby Jesus figurine was stolen twice in one month from a church in St. John's, Newfoundland.
During some Christmases of the first decade of the 21st century, a baby Jesus statue was often stolen from the outdoor nativity scene in Jönköping in Sweden, once thrown into the nearby lake of Vättern. This has led to the nativity scene, resembling a wooden stable, being closed by nights.
Nativity scene thefts, generally including the theft of the baby Jesus, have been reported across the United Kingdom. In Wales, a baby Jesus was stolen two years in a row from a city center nativity scene in Cardiff.
In the village of Abernethy, Perth and Kinross, the baby Jesus is replaced by a Shrek doll as part of an annual tradition originating in 2020.
On 22 December 2021, the baby Jesus from the nativity scene in Preston, Lancashire was stolen as the display was vandalised and found without a baby Jesus the next morning. In hopes of the baby Jesus returning, local councillors published a tweet asking for the baby Jesus to be returned anonymously to the Town Hall before Christmas Day. The baby Jesus was found by local restaurant owners and returned in time for Christmas Day.[citation needed]