The Crib of the Nativity will open to the public after the dedication ceremony on Friday, Dec. 8, at 9:30 a.m. at the Krohn Conservatory in Eden Park. Major Timothy Lyle, The Salvation Army; Father Paul Lickteig, St. Xavier Church; and Reverend Paul Booth Jr., Legacy Pointe Church, join Western & Southern’s Chairman, President and CEO John F. Barrett and Vice President of Public Relations David Nevers to dedicate the Crib of the Nativity.
The Crib of the Nativity is Western & Southern Financial Group’s gift to the people of Greater Cincinnati. The annual tradition began in 1939 with construction of the company’s first Nativity display in Lytle Park downtown. During World War II, the creché was erected at Union Terminal, where it served as a source of inspiration for departing and arriving troops and their families. It returned to Lytle Park after the war and moved to its current location beside the Krohn Conservatory in Eden Park in 1967.
Under the thatched roof of a log stable in a humble scene reflecting the peace and joy of Christmas, live animals and life-size figures recreate the birth of Jesus. Donations placed in the Crib’s collection box are matched by Western & Southern Financial Fund and given to The Salvation Army to help needy children and the homeless throughout Greater Cincinnati. It is open 9 a.m. – 9 p.m., seven days a week, Dec. 8 through Jan. 7, 2024.
Western & Southern is grateful to the Biedenharn family of Crittenden, Kentucky, three generations of whom have lovingly constructed the Crib since 1939.
