Description

Christmas on an icon or on a Western Christian image is almost always a composition of all kinds of stories from different Bible books. In the New Testament there are two evangelists who describe the birth of Christ; Luke and Matthew. Luke tells the story of the shepherds in the field who see and hear the news from an angel, seen at the top right. The history of the wise men from the east, called magi in the new translation, comes from Matthew. At the top left of the icon the wise men arrive, at the bottom left they give their gifts to the child. The flight to Egypt is also depicted on this icon, to escape the revenge and infanticide of Herod, Joseph took Mary and the child to Egypt.