Christmas B – Nativity

Christmas – a family-focused holiday

The stylised image of the Nativity or the Holy Family on the Christmas stamp speaks to us with a symbolism of colours that does not fully correspond to the usual iconographic interpretations of the individual colours. Christ’s mother Mary is presented in red, a colour that is supposed to represent vital power and also passion. It represents the warmth and sensitivity that are the characteristics of every mother. Joseph is presented in blue, which is supposed to represent reason, peace and wisdom. The baby Jesus is presented in yellow, the colour of the sun that every year is newly born and dies again. The colour expresses optimism, happiness and holiness. All these meanings can also be appropriate interpretations of contemporary family life.

Christmas is also a time of celebration linked to festive dishes. Originally, even these dishes had a clear symbolic meaning and were actually characteristic gifts. Towards the end of the nineteenth century a characteristic form of festive cuisine began to develop, including a wide variety of sweets and other confectionery that were hung on Christmas trees. This development continued throughout the twentieth century. Biscuits, frequently made of gingerbread, were shaped by hand or with the help of moulds and decorated with colourful icing. The latter accentuated the decorations and figural designs on the gingerbread. Gingerbread biscuits were not only decorative, however, and were particularly popular with youngsters, for whom they represented festive abundance. The next stage in the development of treats to hang on Christmas trees is represented by colourfully wrapped sweets, especially chocolates.

Janez Bogataj