For more than 40 years, Christmas at The Tablet meant only one thing — a John McAlinden illustration on the front-and-back page wraparound of the edition. Composed of thousands of individual names, the drawing would depict some piece of the story about the birth of Jesus. It might be a manger scene, or the visit of the Three Kings, or an angel blowing a trumpet.
This year, more than ever, we may want to turn to holiday sing-along favorites such as “Winter Wonderland,” “Sleigh Bells,” “Deck the Halls” and “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” to help put us in the spirit of the season.
Tickets for Masses, virtual holiday concerts, video Christmas cards, and drive-by Nativity scenes: It’s beginning to look a lot like a different sort of Christmas.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, forest fires, hurricanes, wars and other events this year have hit the world’s economies hard, leaving many unemployed and unable to pay for rent and even food.
With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing families to stay home during this Christmas season, many folks are turning to sacred music as a means to help relieve stress and find meaning in classical hymns of faith and devotion.
Children often look high and low to spot their Elf on Shelf dolls during this time of year, but one entrepreneur took the concept to the next level. Erica Campbell, owner and designer of the “Be a Heart” brand and mother to an 11-month-old girl, created Mary on the Mantel to provide comfort to kids and teach them about their faith.
Tourists usually come by busloads six weeks of the year to see Dyker Heights’s lavish Christmas lights and displays. Due to the overwhelming tourism he experienced last year though, homeowner Nick Taverniti didn’t elaborately decorate his home. This year, his daughters convinced him to keep their family tradition alive and bring much needed Christmas cheer to the area.
St. Saviour High School junior Allie Giordano wanted to do more for others as the pandemic continued to unfold during the holiday season. She asked for help from her school’s administration with a Christmas service project she wanted to pursue — collecting items for the military through the American Red Cross Holidays for Heroes program.
Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio unveiled the replica of the “Angels Unawares” statue to serve in place of the Nativity scene for the Diocese of Brooklyn in Grand Army Plaza of Prospect Park.
Pope John XXIII once said, “Mankind is a great, an immense family … This is proved by what we feel in our hearts at Christmas.” The Christmas spirit will still be alive — albeit in modified ways, due to the pandemic — thanks to how Catholic parishes and dioceses will continue their annual programming.
