The first commercially printed Christmas card is up for sale – a merry Victorian-era scene that scandalised some who denounced it as humbug when it first appeared in 1843. The card, being sold online starting Friday through a consortium run by Marvin Getman, a US-based dealer in rare books and manuscripts, depicts an English family Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Christmas’
Former Swiss Guard releases Catholic Christmas cookbook
Monday, November 9th, 2020A new cookbook offers recipes, some more than 1,000 years old, that have been served at the Vatican during the Advent and Christmas seasons. “The Vatican Christmas Cookbook” is written by chef David Geisser, who is a former member of the Vatican’s Swiss Guard, along with author Thomas Kelly. Read more
Miramar Peninsula Hosts Mid-winter Christmas
Monday, June 29th, 2020The mid-winter Christmas in Miramar began with carols. The plan had been to sing in the civic area outside the Roxy Cinema. Weather forced the event indoors, but spirits were not dampened as David Midland and Salvation Army Brass Band led the rousing mid-winter carols in the drier surrounds of the beautiful St. Aidan’s Church. Read more
Christmas cancelled in Iraq
Monday, December 9th, 2019
The Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq has announced it will not hold public Christmas celebrations this year. Iraq’s Chaldean Catholic Church is one of the largest in Iraq and the diaspora. Cardinal Patriarch Louis Raphael Sako, head of the church, said the decision was made “out of respect” for victims; those killed and wounded in Read more
Indonesia to deploy 160,000 people to protect churches for Christmas
Monday, December 9th, 2019Nearly 160,000 security personnel will be deployed to try to make Christmas and New Year celebrations in Indonesia safe, reported ucanews.org. This is an increase from last year, when nearly 90,000 security personnel guarded about 50,000 churches across the country. An official of the National Police Traffic Corps told journalists that police, military personnel and Read more
Nativity: With tea-towels on their heads children become shepherds
Monday, December 9th, 2019The 5pm Mass on Christmas Eve is the big one for the Holy Name community. Several hundred people will gather in the North Dunedin Catholic church for the festive, family-friendly service. The highlight, as it is each year, will be the narrated nativity play presented by 20 or more of the parish children. Preschoolers to Read more
Pope says Nativity scenes should go in town squares, schools
Monday, December 2nd, 2019Pope Francis on Sunday hailed Nativity scenes as “simple and admirable” signs of Christian faith and encouraged their placement in workplaces, schools and town squares, as he bolstered a Christmas tradition that has at times triggered bitter legal battles in the United States. “I wish to encourage the beautiful family tradition of preparing the Nativity Read more
Salvation Army highlighting Christmas housing crisis
Monday, November 25th, 2019
The Salvation launched its Christmas appeal, Monday, with a prediction that the need for transitional housing will increase by 35 per cent. The Salvation Army says comparing Christmas 2018 with Christmas 2019, it expects an extra 600 people to be in its housing this Christmas. 1187 people were in its centres on Christmas Eve in Read more
The gentle touch
Thursday, November 14th, 2019
There is a story about Mary, that she was stitching a cloth for the tabernacle when Gabriel visited her. Maybe. Maybe not. She could have been sweeping the floor. Or grinding corn for a meal. Those activities can also be sacred. We are reminded of times when God has been manifest in simple household tasks. Read more
Christmas Remembered
Monday, April 1st, 2019
In a writing class, people were recording childhood memories of a festive family occasion. Many writers chose Christmas. A Jewish woman described her father keeping the rabbi talking at the door, while mother and children pushed the Christmas tree out of the living room and into the garage. Another story came from a man who Read more