A faceless and “inclusive” Nativity scene put on by the city of Brussels has sparked controversy and calls for it to be removed, with critics branding the installation as an insult to Christian heritage and tradition.
On Friday, the Brussels city government unveiled its new Nativity scene at the Grand-Place, the medieval market square in the city centre of the Belgian capital. The city said that it was necessary to replace its previous feature as it had become dilapidated and difficult to transport without destroying it.
Mayor of Brussels Philippe Close, a self-described secularist and Socialist Party politician, said that he farmed out the design of the new Nativity scene to the Cathedrals of St. Michael and St. Gudula, who selected the design of Brussels-based artist Victoria-Maria.
Unlike traditional Nativity scenes, the one designed by Victoria-Maria was made entirely of recycled fabrics, and the figures of Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus, a donkey, the Three Wise Men, a shepherd, and a sheep were all faceless, replaced with a pixelated patchwork of beige and brown fabrics.
A member of the designing team told La Libre the purpose was to create “an inclusive mix of all skin tones, so that everyone can see themselves reflected.”
However, many found the scene insulting, including Belgian Senator Georges-Louis Bouchez, who described the faceless figures as being more akin to the “zombies at Brussels stations than a real nativity scene”.
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – NOVEMBER 28: German-born interior architect and designer Victoria Maria Geyer (L) and the Brussels Mayor Philippe Close (R) pose beside the controversial nativity scene in Brussels Grand-Place on November 28, 2025, in Brussels, Belgium. (Photo by Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)
“How ugly, a society that denies its values… This nativity scene is terrible and an insult to our traditions… It is unacceptable to see our traditions erode time and again because of so-called inclusivity,” the Reformist Movement leader wrote on X.
“An inclusive society is one that brings people together — and Christmas is THE holiday that does that.”
Bouchez called for the Nativity to be replaced “immediately, or at the latest for next year’s edition.” Mayor Close had previously said the city hopes the scene will be used for at least the next five years.
Professor of Cognitive Psychology, Wouter Duyck, of Ghent University, suggested that political correctness and a fear of angering Brussels’ large Muslim population was the true inspiration for the faceless Nativity scene.
“In Islam, the faces of prophets are not depicted. This is the nativity scene in the capital of Europe. Whoever decided to impose a hierarchy on religions in favour of the least tolerant one?” Prof Duyck questioned.
“As a freethinker, I am greatly concerned about our secularity/neutrality. Co-existence and freedom of religion require precisely that you do not impose things on others. The strange thing is that it is not Muslims who are doing this (I hope).”
He suggested that it was a “misplaced fallacy” among liberals, holding that “spewing mist over one’s own traditions, values, and fundamental principles would be beneficial for integration and would facilitate living together in diversity.”
Meanwhile, the Mayor’s office said on Saturday that the head of baby Jesus was stolen from the Nativity scene, De Standaard reported. It is so far unclear what the motive for the theft was.
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