There are many legends associated with Christmas and the festive season... whether the legends are related to the birth of Jesus Christ or not. Over the coming weeks leading to December 25, we shall be publishing a number of such tales which Tanja Cilia has compiled for readers...

The Christmas rose

The Magi were on the way to Bethlehem. The little shepherdess Madelon was impressed at their regal bearing and fine clothes. She asked them where they were going, and they told her that the King of Kings had just been born, and that they were going to visit him. Then she saw people going by with gifts of honey, doves, fruit, bread, and home-made toys. Being poor, she did not have a suitable gift, and she cried. Out of the blue, an angel floated down beside her; in his hand was a beautiful scented flower. He asked her why she was crying, and when she told him, the angle waved his flower, and the road to Bethlehem was suddenly edged with white Christmas roses. Madelon ran off to catch up with the Magi, gathering flowers as she went. When she arrived and presented her flowers to Jesus, he laughed and touched them, and they were tinged with pink.

The legend of the robin redbreast

In the stable where the Holy Family had spent the night, there was a little sparrow-like bird. They were fast asleep; and the bird noticed that the fire was going out. Poor precious Baby! He would feel cold. The bird chirped to attract the attention of Joseph and Mary, but they did not hear her. So the bird did the only thing it could do – it flew down from the ledge where it had been resting, and began fanning the fire with her wings. At one point, she stood too close to the embers – and in the morning, when Joseph woke up and re-kindled the fire, she heard him tell Mary that it must have been the “lovely bird with the red breast” had done to keep the fire alive during the night.