The New York Public Library has shared old photographs to the public commons of flickr. I was intrigued by these really old images from Syria and Egypt and this one in particular. It made me think of Mary, Jesus’ mother, possibly riding in to Nazareth, exceedingly pregnant. She would not have been veiled, but in every other way this image takes me there.
I just love old images and thoroughly enjoy scrolling through them.
On a slightly different note, has a kid ever asked you things like “Why is Santa called Santa?” Or, I’m trying to remember some of the stranger questions I’ve gotten over the years…. about various Christmas customs? Have you ever wondered why a tree is used to celebrate Christmas? I have. I found an interesting website explaining why we have certain Christmas traditions and fascinating to me, how Christmas is celebrated in various cultures. Christ followers celebrate the birth of Jesus and if you’re curious, read the full Christmas story here.
And, being a step-parent, I found this rendition of the story of Joseph to be interesting. It’s found on an Anglican Church website. Being a step-mom was one of the most difficult roles I’ve ever found myself playing and it isn’t a game. Every day, with an instant five year old child was personally challenging and tested my character and strength. I’m afraid I many times came up short. But I never considered the fact that Joseph was raising a child that wasn’t his own blood.
I hope you will enjoy the 19th century images. And perhaps learn something you didn’t previously know about the customs of Christmas.
Logic & Imagination 