A dedication and blessing was given for a recently set-up Christmas nativity display at the California State Capitol Sunday evening.
"This was a historic evening for California, for our nation," said Wynette Sills, who went out to the event.
The last time the Capitol hosted such a display was in the 1970s. A few weeks ago, the Knights of Columbus worked with the Thomas More Society to apply to get the display back up again for this year.
"It's possible because there was precedents in other states and the other thing is that this state has set up a menorah in the past, each year for some years," said Knights of Columbus member Bill Labiak. "It's not like we're doing something that hasn't been done before."
The manger scene consist of statues of the Holy Family and the Three Kings. The Sacramento Nativity Scene Ad Hoc Committee, a group of volunteers from Stockton and Sacramento which promotes free speech, hosted the event.
However, there were some wondering about the separation of church and state. It's something other cities around the country experienced with nativity scenes.
Labiak said that is not an issue since the state isn't funding the display. It's privately funded.
"The state is certainly not supporting us and saying we think you should put up a nativity," Labiak said. "They're saying if you want to put up a nativity in this season, we will allow that, just like a menorah and at other times other displays."
According to Tom Brejcha, president and chief counsel of the Thomas More Society, the nativity scene represents constitutionally-protected free speech and expression of religious faith by private citizens in a traditional public forum.