artist unatributed
Like a lot of people in the western world, I celebrate Christmas as a secularist. I don't consider myself a neo-pagan. Honestly, I don't consider myself a member of any religion, if Paganism is one. As if by nature, I reflect upon the Winter Solstice as the turning point from which the natural cycles of nature bring us back toward the light. From that perspective, it easy for me to understand and relate to how the pre-Christians celebrated in the way they did and how many of these traditions are still with us.
At Christmas, Christians are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ; a story I find fascinating and humbling, though there appears to be some historical proof that Jesus was not born in winter. Feel free to correct me on this, as I am not aversed to being corrected on these matters. I am, in fact, quite interested to hear various perspectives.
I honor and respect the various ways people celebrate holidays at this time of year. Though I am not Christian, I will, on my blogs, honor Christmas through the art I select. Just as I do with virtually everything else I am thinking about.
Look forward to beautiful madonna and manger scenes depicted by early Renaissance painters, along with images that may show magic, faeries and elves, some picture book art and whatever else I stumble upon.
Happy Winter Solstice
