Betlem de Tirisiti is a puppet play that takes place every year during the Christmas season in the town of Alcoy. The first recorded mention dates back to 1880, but its origin is probably much older. It is traditionally considered that its founder was Pepe Esteve el Betlemero (1866-1959), who performed it with his family for 75 years, but the text certainly does not have a single author, since, as in all popular productions, the work has taken shape, changed and evolved over time. Already in the first decade of the 20th century, the play was known as Betlem de Tirisiti, which refers to the main character of the play, the innkeeper Tirisiti. In 1989, the city of Alcoy decided to buy the crib in order to preserve and maintain it for future generations. The performance has since been entrusted to the professional company La Dependent, which has rewritten the text. She also brought back into use the swazzle with which the two main characters (Tirisiti and el Sereno) speak and gave the show a solid dramatic structure and a precise stage rhythm. Since 2002, the Nativity scene has been declared an "Intangible Asset of Cultural Interest" by the Generalitat Valenciana. Nearly 200 35-minute performances are currently organised each year, from the end of November to 5th January, aimed primarily at schools but also at the general public, with a total attendance of around 30,000 spectators.

The basis of the text of the religious part’s three scenes, performed in Castilian (except for the role of Tirisiti), is the story of Jesus’ birth according to the Gospels of Luke and Matthew. Borrowings from the apocryphal gospels unify the story and enrich it with the legends of the palm tree and the miraculous harvest, during which it’s easier to improvise and mix religious and secular elements. In the second part, performed in Valencian, the structure is close to the dramatic formulas of regional comic and satirical theatre, with improvised dialogue and allusions to current events. Naturally, it is this part that the audience is most looking forward to.

The show is divided into two parts. In the first part, Joseph and Mary arrive at Tirisiti's inn, who refuses to give them shelter. This is followed by the traditional episodes of the angel’s appearance, the nativity, the adoration of the shepherds and the Magi. During the flight to Egypt, the Holy Family finds refuge under a palm tree which conceals them from the eyes of their pursuers. The Captain of the soldiers interrogates the farmers who tell him that they saw the fugitives passing by while they were sowing. At that moment, the wheat sprouts miraculously, confusing the soldiers who give up the pursuit. The tree opens its palms and reveals the Holy Family who continue on their way.

The second part, the one with secular action, is divided in six scenes with situations and characters from Alcoy. The Night watchman announces the time and wakes up the characters one after the other. Tirisiti comically presents the local community on its way to mass. An old man argues with the altar boy who holds the church door. Tirisiti sends his wife Tereseta to mass, who exchanges a kiss with the sacristan, but the crowd warns her husband about it. The community leaves the church at the end of the mass, while Tirisiti is repeating his comments. A bull appears and threatens Tirisiti. The famous bullfighter Clásico makes some bullfighting passes in front of Tirisiti who boasts that he can do better than him. A chase begins between the bull and Tirisiti. The bells ring, announcing the march of Moors and Christians who come forward, as in the traditional Alcoy festival. The city's patron saint, Saint Jordi, appears on top of the castle. Tirisiti decides to leave the city, packs his bags and leaves for the Moon in a hot-air balloon. But the hot-air balloon bursts and Tirisiti falls with it.