Bitter cold, snow put damper on live nativity scene in Bismarck

BISMARCK — Bitter cold and blowing snow put a damper on an outdoor church nativity scene, a decades-old tradition that normally features live people and animals.

Temperatures in Bismarck this week of 15 below to 20 below, with wind chill factors at 50 below, forced closure of the display for one of its four nights before Christmas, said the Rev. Thomas Marcis, pastor of the Zion Lutheran Church.

The nativity scene has been a church tradition for 48 years. Marcis said the scene lacked live animals this year for the first time due to the dangerously cold temperatures.

The church normally hauls in sheep, donkeys and cows from area farms for the display.

“A lot of years we’ve had cold, and a lot of years we’ve had snow but this year we had real cold and blowing snow,” Marcis said. “It made it such that it was the first year we haven’t brought in the animals. We were still able to do it, just not fully.”

Marcis said the conditions were made colder this year because the church no longer uses straw to insulate the stable in the nativity scene.

Two years ago, someone torched about 200 straw bales. The fire did not damage the church, but the bales have been removed as a precaution, Marcis said.

About 10 people from the church’s 1,400-member congregation portray Mary and Joseph, wise men and shepherds, Marcis said. A baby Jesus doll has been used in the nativity scene in all but one year, when Marcis’ son was put in a crib during a mild winter years ago.

This year, portrayers were only able to stay outside for a few minutes before going inside the church to warm up.

Marcis’ 19-year-old daughter, Bekah, has played a part in the nativity scene for 13 years. The college student, who portrays everyone from the wise men to Mary, said this year was the coldest she remembers.

Cold and the lack of animals lured the fewest amount of visitors that she can remember.

“People were not coming by, so we just had to stand there and wait, which made it feel colder,” she said. “I’d be out there 25 minutes and have to come in for 25 minutes because I couldn’t feel my toes.”

Tags: nativity scene, winter, cold, bismarck