When the child Jesus was born, his mother Mary laid him in a manger (Lk 2:7). The word “manger” comes from the Latin word munducare which means “to eat.” A manger or crib is a wooden or stone feeding trough or food box that holds hay for larger farm animals like cattle, horses, and donkeys. Mangers were located wherever livestock were kept, places like stables, corrals, or caves. Farmers were sure to keep their mangers well-supplied with fodder at all times so the animals would never go hungry. The cattle can walk up to a manger at any time, and then spend long, leisure hours chomping away, chewing and slowly re-chewing their cud.