Merry Christmas to all of you celebrating this special holiday.
For me it is not just a family holiday, it is a religious day as well.
I love the story of the birth of Christ.
I've been fortunate to see and hear many beautiful pieces of art and music about His birth.
I've seen the first and last by Giotto in person (I have a fondness for Giotto).
The two middle pieces I would love to see, but likely won't.
Madonna di san giorgio alla costa
by Giotto ~ Between 1295 and 1300
The church of San Giorgio alla Costa
Florence, Italy
Painting Hung in the Chapel of the Shepherds' Field
I'd love to see this for real, but likely never will.
Beit Sahour, southeast of Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine.
The Adoration of the Shepherds
by Gerard van Honthorst (1622)
Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud
Cologne, Germany
No. 17 Scenes from the Life of Christ: 1. Nativity
by Giotto (between 1304 and 1306)
The Scrovegni Chapel
Padua, Italy
And here is one of my favorite Christmas songs about the birth of Jesus.
It's by written and sung by Canada's and Prince Edward Island's Lennie Gallant.
The Innkeeper ~ YouTube
I'm linking to Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date, Tom's Aloha Friday, and Nicole's Friday Face Off.
For Rain: Christmas Fun ~ Christmas 1958
Barbie, Roy, Me, Donnie, and Gretchen
(Bertie was a few months away from entering this world.)
Margaretsville, Nova Scotia, Canada
December 24,1959
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
For Tom: Love is Aloha ~ Our Niece Sara and her love Justen got engaged this week!
Wishing you aloha, Sara and Justen!
Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
For Nicole: Christmas Cookies and Chicken Pox ~ Our great nephew Jackson came down with chicken pox, but that didn't stop him from making cookies.
Jackson making my chocolate chip cookies.
United Kingdom
2024
Photo by Krista Mundry
Thrilled? Faces ~ Donnie and I, Christmas past.
Donnie (back) and Me (front) Tobogganing!Calgary, Alberta, Canada
December 24, 2016
Photo by M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
However you celebrate, enjoy! ❤️❤️❤️
Till next time ~
Fundy Blue
Standing Into Danger https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com
Copyright ©2024 – All rights reserved.
My next post will be
Friday, December 27h. 🤞
On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Merry Christmas to you as well! Your reflections on the holiday's significance and the beautiful art and music inspired by the birth of Christ are truly touching. The pieces you've mentioned, especially those by Giotto, must have left a profound impression, given your fondness for his work. It's wonderful that you've had the opportunity to see some of these masterpieces in person
ReplyDeleteThanks, Roentare! One of the great joys in my life has been visiting gorgeous art museums in different places around the world. I love art in all its forms. My parents were both painters, and I grew up pouring over my parents' art history books from university. One of the most beautiful spaces anywhere for me ~ It just stunned me! ~ was the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy. Giotto and the Scrovegni Chapel are like Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel. But just as amazing to me is aboriginal art from around the world. I used to teach my school kiddos about traditional aboriginal art and Dreamtime in Australia. Humans have been creating art almost from the beginning. Have a lovely Christmas, my friend!
DeleteA very, very Happy Christmas to you and all those you care about.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sue! I hope that you have a lovely Christmas! ❤️
DeleteWhat a beautiful song by Lennie Gallant! I've never heard it before. Have a wonderful Christmas, you and Terry!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Debra! I hope you and everyone you love have a great Christmas❤️
Delete...Louise, thanks for sharing this wonderful post. The introduction to Lennie Gallent is beautiful Christmas gift. Merry Christmas and take care and stay warm and well.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tom! I'm so happy that you liked Lennie Gallant's "Innkeeper." It was lovely and warm today, but we've had some cold and windy days. Burr! You and your Sweetie and family have a wonderful Christmas! ❤️
DeleteThat second painting of the nativity is powerful. I was reading this morning, "A Ukrainian Christmas." The authors were writing about how each culture interprets the birth story from their own perspective and that in Christmas pageants in Ukraine, Stalin is often used as a stand in for Herod (I wonder if Stalin may soon be replaced with Putin).
ReplyDeleteI really love that second painting, Jeff, and to think it's in a chapel marking where shepherds heard angels singing of the birth of Jesus. I would really love to visit the Holy Land and all the sacred spots associated with Jesus. I learned as a child about experiencing the nativity through different cultural eyes. I was blown away when I heard the Huron Carol the first time; I was 11 and spending my first Christmas in Northern Ontario. St. Jean de Brébeuf, SJ wrote it in 1642 or 43. It's funny, I am not a Roman Catholic, nor do I want to become one, but I've had all these RC influences. I have carried my father-in-law's St. Christopher's Medal with me wherever I go for decades. Father Ouimet had a powerful effect on me. TMI, I'm sure! Have a beautiful, meaningful Christmas! ❤️
DeleteOh those paintings are beautiful!!!!! I love the Innkeeper- that is beautiful. I have not heard that before.
ReplyDeleteI am always really happy to see photos of you and your beautiful family!x
Kenzie!!! What a delight to hear from you! I have missed you and thought about you so many times! Merry Christmas! ❤️
DeleteA very, very happy Christmas to you and Terry! I always love your photograph. And I love your artwork selections as well. It's a time of year to celebrate joy and beauty.
ReplyDeleteAlso wanted to mention that I was interested in your reply to Jeff about the background of the Huron Carol. I included it in the Christmas series on my blog, honoring my ancestors through their Christmas songs. (I have one in Irish too, for my 3x-great grandfather who migrated from Ireland to Nova Scotia in the early 1800s.)
Hi, Anonymous! I'm trying to figure out who you are! 😂 St. Jean de Brébeuf, SJ, who wrote The Huron Carol, had a fascinating life, but he came to a tragic end. He was ritually tortured and murdered by Iroquois who raided a Huron village and took him and others captive. Iroquois tribesman ate St. Jean's heart because he showed no signs of pain when he was tortured and killed. He was made a saint in 1930 and is a patron saint of Canada. Wising you a Merry Christmas! ❤️
DeleteMerry Christmas. Hope you have lots of fun family time. Sure some amazing artwork pieces indeed. Congrats to them on the Engagement and boo to the chicken pox. Darn chickens lol
ReplyDeletePoor little Jackson! I hope that your little guys have missed the joys of chicken pox, Pat! btw, I think Orlin is revealing a lot about you as he pecks away with his claws. I am enjoying the story. Wishing you the best of Christmases!
Delete❤️
DeleteI love the Christmas picture of you in 1958. Happy Holidays!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Natalie! Wishing you a lovely holiday season! ❤️
DeleteMerry, Merry Christmas, Louise. I loved every photo -- the paintings are a wonderful expression of the Christmas Story and your own personal ones, of your story. I hope the season treats you well! Merry, Merry!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and your loved ones, Jeanie! Thanks for your kind comment! ❤️
DeleteA very nice post. All these wonderful faces. I do love the old photo and the grand nephew. Nothing is better than chicken pox and cookies. The art is amazing. Thank you for sharing it all with FFO and have a beautiful weekend.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nicole! You have a beautiful weekend too! ❤️
DeleteOne of the things that made me lose faith in the Bible is the birth of Jesus story.
ReplyDeleteIn those days, a woman claiming she's pregnant outside of marriage would be getting a much different present than gold frakenscense and myrr
I do think Muhammad was clever in changing the story of baby Jesus to where he could immediately speak even as an infant. Three kings definitely would travel to see that.
Enough of my rambling, Merry Christmas 🎄
Merry Christmas, Adam! I hope you and your family had lots of fun together on Christmas. We all react to the story of baby Jesus definitely. For me it is a message of faith and hope. All the best to you, my friend!
DeleteBest wishes for you and your family! Thank you for your nice comments always.
ReplyDeleteDecember 2024
Outside the door, the stormy winds have calmed down, but it‘s still cold ... how cozy I sit here at the PC and write comments.
The holidays are almost over. We have been looking forward to Christmas for so long with lots of preparations, crafting, writing cards, decorating the house and of course the obligatory baking and cooking of cookies. Now we are looking forward to the new year. What will 2025 bring?
Hugs from Heidrun, I wish you a pleasant time
Hugs back to you, Heidrun! I think the whole world is hoping for peace in 2025! Wishing you love, laughter, health, and peace in the coming year!
Delete