ICON OF THE NATIVITY.
The Nativity icon is the prologue to the history of Salvation. It depicts the Incarnation, Death, and Resurrection.
Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, endured the cross, conquered death, and rose from the dead. Every creature depicted in the icon, from angels to animals, participates in the work of Christ's Salvation.
On December 26th, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Divine Motherhood of Mary, and a week after that, the Nativity of St. Joseph. Christmas is celebrated together with the arrival of the Magi and the Baptism of the Lord. These constitute the great Epiphany – the Revelation of Jesus.
The icon of the Nativity draws on the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, the apocryphal gospels, and certain texts from the book of the prophet Isaiah, who foretells the time of the Messiah's arrival (Isaiah 11:6-8).
The icon appeared in the 7th century and reached its canonical form in the 9th century, with its current elements: a star, an ox, a donkey, a manger, Mary and Child, the Child bathing, St. Joseph, shepherds, the journey of the Kings, angels, and a characteristic setting – the background of the icon.
