ST. ALBANS, W.Va. (AP) - Baby Jesus will be in the manger for Christmas after all, even if Mary and Joseph will not be there to coo.
Officials have put the infant back into the town's nativity scene after news reports about the omission prompted e-mails from as far away as South Korea.
"The baby is in the manger," Callaway said Monday.
Jesus will be included, but Mary and Joseph are still out.
The manger scene, one of 350 light exhibits in the town's annual Festival of Lights, had included shepherds, camels, and a guiding star, but no Jesus, Mary or Joseph.
The parks superintendent said Jesus was left out because of concerns about the separation of church and state. But Mayor Dick Callaway said it was more a technical issue and an oversight.
"The purpose isn't to support a particular religion," Callaway said. "It's just to show one more side to the season."
Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
