Wonderful time of Christmas. St. Nicholas and the Nativity of Christ on icons

...at the Ikonen-Museum Recklinghausen, Nov. 8, 2025 to Jan. 11, 2026

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In keeping with the season, we dedicate ourselves to the two great stories of Christmastime: Saint Nicholas and the Nativity of Christ. Saint Nicholas is considered the quintessential "wonderworker," who helps people overcome their worries and hardships. He still is one of the most popular Christian saints, and his depiction in icons is correspondingly widespread and diverse.

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, in which God became man: an essentially inconceivable, seemingly paradoxical miracle that forms the core of Christian faith traditions. We examine the depiction of the Christmas story on icons and decipher the individual scenes step by step.

Forty-two icons from the Ikonen Museum's collection invite you to learn about the wonders and miracle workers of the Christmas season in greater detail. The items come from Russia, Greece, the Balkans, Asia Minor and Ethiopia and range from the 11th to the 20th century.

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Image below or top right: Saint Nicholas, Russia, 16th century