While living nativity scenes might appear to be an age-old custom, the oldest one, in the Andorran town of Engordany, is not yet fifty years old. Even so, living nativity scenes are a Christmas tradition which has become firmly rooted in Catalonia and there are currently six in Barcelona. Each of them has its own unique characteristics: the one in La Marina involves over two hundred people, the one in La Torre del Suro is performed in a singular setting which only opens to the public for this event, and the one in Can Baró uses the Turó de la Rovira as a natural setting.

• Cottolengo del Padre Alegre. 21 and 28 December at 6 pm Come and enjoy a variety of biblical scenes referring to the birth of Jesus, in the gardens of this almshouse next to Park Güell.
• La Marina. 14 December, from 6 to 8.30 pm, in the Jardins dels Drets Humans. Over 250 figures provide thirty scenes along a route which goes through the most densely-wooded area of the park.
• Navas. 22 December at 5 pm, al Navas Civic Centre. The residents of this Sant Andreu neighbourhood have been organising their nativity scene for a number of years now.
• El Poble Espanyol. 6, 7 and 8 December from 12 to 2 pm and from 4 to 6 pm at avinguda de Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia, 13.
• Torre Baró. 28 December at 6 pm, at Santa Bernardeta parish church. Around forty local residents take part in this representation, which has been held for the last 36 years. And it includes all of the classic nativity scenes, Bethlehem, the enunciation of the shepherds, the three wise men…
• Torre del Suro. 18 December, at 6 pm, at the Casa de Repòs Sant Camil. Organised by members of the Sant Camil workshop school, which works with people with intellectual disabilities, this living nativity scene shows various biblical scenes outside the centre. The scene is named after the Torre del Suro, a Modernista complex which is part of the Casa de Repòs Sant Camil and which only opens to the public once a year for this event.
• Trinitat Vella – Espai Via Bàrcino. 20 December from 6 to 7 pm. During the afternoon, local residents in the Trinitat Vella neighbourhood turn this civic-centre area into an authentic Bethlehem, full of oriental references.