Baby Jesus theft is the theft of figurines of the infant Jesus from outdoor public and private nativity displays during the Christmas season. It is an "enduring (and illegal) practice" according to New York Times journalist Katie Rogers, "believed to be part of a yearly tradition, often carried out by bored teenagers looking for an easy prank."[1] Sometimes these are stolen for resale, other times the associated pranks are more involved and include dropping it off somewhere else.[2]
The prevalence of such thefts has caused some owners of outdoor manger scenes to protect their property with GPS devices or surveillance cameras, or to removing baby Jesus from the displays outside of specific requests or public showings.[3] Occasionally the figurines are returned.[4]