When a child is born

CHRISTMAS has always been a festive season because it marks the winter solstice, when finally darkness is vanquished by light.

The Romans decorated their temples with greenery at the feast, the Druids employed mistletoe, and the Germanic tribes used holly and ivy.

These customs have been transferred to the Christian festival. The simple story of a baby’s birth to a young mother and father, which marks the moment when they became a family, is a tale we’ve all grown up with. As children we visited the crib, and saw paintings of the scene on Christmas cards.