Christmas Adoration

Christmas is coming, you guys! Jim and I had no less than three (amazing!) Christmas parties this weekend- all with fantastic themes and guests fully dedicated to the themes. I laughed non-stop the entire weekend and stayed hydrated, escaping with only a minor headache on Sunday evening.

Our house is still in disarray and under construction, so our decorations are waaaaaay more limited than usual. We have lights up outside, but inside, only the nativity scene is up on the mantel. But it’s hands-down my favorite decoration and completely sufficient if you ask me. Here is a zoomed in portion of it:

There is an ongoing debate in our family about whether Mary and Joseph need to switch spots. Thoughts?

It’s beautiful, but here’s a scene with a little more history:

I know. It's hard to see. But it's from 1481, so.....

 Leonardo da Vinci made “The Adoration of the Magi” early in his career and I love that he included all kinds of people in it. Some are bowing and worshipping, some look contemplative, some just want a peek so they can see what all the fuss is about, and some are disinterested. Actually, it’s widely believed the seemingly disinterested young man on the far right (not looking at baby Jesus) is Leonardo himself. The background represents the secular world, full of chaos and ruin. I read a few theories about the palm tree, but the one I thought most interesting was that it might be symbolic of a verse from Song of Solomon (7:7) that some think is about the mother of Christ: “You are stately as a palm tree…”

This is a beautiful drawing, but just one of a bajillion with the same theme. What is your favorite piece of Christmas art?