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No more live animals at Grand Place nativity scene
The nativity scene on the Grand Place in Brussels will have no live animals this year for the first time in almost 40 years.
The three sheep, loaned each year by farmer Jean Meulens from Lennik, are to be replaced by straw sheep instead, reports Bruzz.
The decision comes after an incident last year in which a ewe had to be killed after it was injured by another of the animals.
"It's not the only problem we've had," said a spokesman for Brussels city hall. "A few years ago, one of the sheep was stolen."
Meulens first agreed to provide the sheep to the nativity scene in the 1970s, when his company was commissioned to build the stable.
He kept up the tradition every year since - and a municipal street cleaner for the city of Brussels was in charge of feeding them. The animals were removed ahead of the New Year's Eve fireworks.
Comments
I wonder if the street cleaner was the man who won the 160+ million in the lottery. That could explain things a bit. Seems he stopped showing up for work. Anyway, it's much more animal-friendly to have straw sheep.
At the risk of sounding racially prejudiced, I feel I must report the rumour which was rife at the time of the sheep-rustling: the Christmas sheep which was stolen overnight from the Grand' Place or Grand-Place (but not "Grand Place") probably ended up in a halal dish such as a tajine or couscous royal... The baby Jesus figure has also been stolen from its crib at least once. Is nothing sacred?