There was more than one lobster at the birth of Jesus?

Well, here we are on the last Sunday of 2022. It is, of course also Christmas Day. Christmas Day falling on a Sunday is a pretty unusual event. I wonder if any of my readers can remember the last time Christmas Day fell on a Sunday – the last time was in 2016. In fact, in the entire time I have been writing my Sunday blogs, Christmas Day has only fallen twice before on a Sunday – 2011 and 2016.

After many years of hosting Christmas and Boxing Day celebrations for my family, this year, ours will be a quiet Christmas, spent on our own. That said, we started to celebrate Christmas with our family before this weekend and will do so again after today. I like to think about it as an extended family party.

Of course, Christmas isn’t just about having a party. In our own ways, J and I have a faith that celebrates Christmas as an important Christian holiday. The nativity plays an important part in the Christian liturgical year. To us the birth of Jesus is much more than a Christmas story to be depicted in a school play, a nativity manger scene or on a Christmas card. The best description of the nativity I’ve heard in a while was last week’s Radio 4 programme, Moving Pictures, which featured Sandro Botticelli’s painting the Mystic Nativity. If you have 30 minutes to spare, have a listen here. The importance of the birth of Jesus was something reinforced by our long-awaited pilgrimage to the Holy Land this year, which included a visit to Bethlehem. It was a very special and spiritual trip.

One of the things often seen in most nativity manger scenes are the biblical Magi – more commonly known as the three wise men (or Kings). They were said to have travelled far to bring gifts to baby Jesus after his birth. And of course, the giving of gifts is an important part of Christmas whatever your beliefs. It is something I love to do, and I will buy gifts for folk all through the year ready to give out at Christmas. For some reason, last year, J and I decided not to give presents to each other.

However, last Christmas Day, J seemed rather disappointed so it’s not something we are repeating this year*. The experience reminded me of another Christmas story, The Gift of the Magi by William Porter (better known by his pen name O. Henry). It is a familiar story. A young married couple give up something that is very special to each of them in order to buy the other something they might find precious. The girl sells her long hair in order to buy a chain for her husband’s pocket watch. The husband sells his pocket watch in order to buy a set of ornamental combs for his wife’s long hair. Thus, the gifts they bought for each other cannot, at that moment in time, be used. However, they both know how far they went to show their love for each other, and just how invaluable their love truly is.

Which is a great place to leave my last blog of 2022. I shall be watching my favourite Christmas film Love Actually later. After my number 1 favourite quote from the film ‘There was more than one lobster at the birth of Jesus?’ (I’m sure those with children or grandchildren will know what this means) I do like ‘I have a sneaky feeling, that if you look for it, you’ll find that love is actually all around’. Given the troubled times of the last year, let’s hope folk everywhere can share more love and less hate in 2023. Happy Christmas everyone!

 

*There are presents under our Christmas tree, which will be opened later.