Christmas Nativity Salzburg E-Book

Cristina Berna

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

This little book shows you some of the nativity scenes we have seen and some of the figurines and accessories that you can find in the Christmas markets and shops in and around Salzburg, Austria. You find the most beautiful Tyrolian hand made wooden cribs and figurines here. Nativity is a Catholic tradition, separated in many countries from official society as Christianity no longer has the same function, although European values are deeply steeped in Christianity. In Northern European countries the birth of Jesus is no longer the central theme of the Christmas displays. We show you also some alternative displays, usually with animals, that are used instead to make the children, and adults, happy. Mostly they are in shopping windows and displace for a while the display of some of the commercial goods that is the daily function of the windows.

Leseprobe

About the authors

Cristina Berna loves photographing and writing. She also creates designs and advice on fashion and styling.

Eric Thomsen has published in science, economics and law, created exhibitions and arranged concerts.

Also by the authors:

World of Cakes

Luxembourg – a piece of cake

Florida Cakes

Catalan Pastis – Catalonian Cakes

Andalucian Delight

World of Art

Hokusai – 36 Views of Mt Fuji and more titles

Christmas Nativity

Christmas Nativity – Spain

Christmas Nativities Barcelona

Christmas Nativities Malaga

Christmas Nativities Sevilla

Christmas Nativities Madrid

Christmas Nativities Luxembourg Trier

Christmas Nativity Hallstatt

Christmas Nativity Salzburg

Christmas Nativity Slovenia and more titles

Christmas Markets

Christmas Market Innsbruck

Christmas Market Vienna

Christmas Market Salzburg

Christmas Market Slovenia and more titles

Outpets

Deer in Dyrehaven – Outpets in Denmark

Florida Outpets

Birds of Play

Missy’s Clan

Missy’s Clan – The Beginning

Missy’s Clan – Christmas

Missy’s Clan – Education

Missy’s Clan – Kittens

Missy’s Clan – Deer Friends

Missy’s Clan – Outpet Birds

Vehicles

Copenhagen vehicles – and a trip to Sweden

Construction vehicles picture book

Trains

and more titles

Contact the authors

[email protected]

Published by www.missysclan.net

Cover picture: The Holy Family, small Nativity in open glass bauble, Salzburg Christmas market

Inside: The Holy Family, detail from exhibition of hand crafted figurines in Salzburg shop window

Content

Introduction

Short history

Salzburger Christkindlmarkt

Christmas market at Hellbrunn Palace

Shop windows

Alternative Decoration

Winter in Salzburg

Websites

Introduction

One of the wonderful traditions of Christmas is the Nativity. But you don’t have to be Christian or a regular church-goer to love these wonderful displays. The creativity and artistry speak to all children and to the child in us all.

Nativity is a scene from the stories of the birth of Jesus. They are in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. With inspiration in these stories you use either figurines or live people to create the scene and convey the story.

These scenes excite especially the children. Their happy smiles and their joy is so wonderfully rewarding. But adults as well enjoy both creating and looking at the nativity scenes.

This has developed into a huge handicraft industry in countries like Spain and Italy. Artists and craftsmen work all year round to create their next exhibits, which are sold especially at Christmas markets.

Families collect figurines and accessories from the markets and create their own displays at home. Churches, beginning with the Vatican, and cities and other institutions create their own annual exhibits that are venerated and celebrated.

This little book shows you some of the nativity scenes we have seen and some of the figurines and accessories that you can find in the Christmas markets and shops in and around Salzburg, Austria. You find the most beautiful Tyrolian hand made wooden cribs and figurines here.

Nativity is a Catholic tradition, separated in many countries from official society as Christianity no longer has the same function, although European values are deeply steeped in Christianity.

In Northern European countries the birth of Jesus is no longer the central theme of the Christmas displays.

We show you also some alternative displays, usually with animals, that are used instead to make the children, and adults, happy. Mostly they are in shopping windows and displace for a while the display of some of the commercial goods that is the daily function of the windows.

Cristina and Eric

Short history

Saint Francis of Assisi is often credited with being the first to create a live nativity scene, in 1223. He did it to promote the worship of Christ. He had come back from The Holy Land, where he had been shown the traditional birthplace of Jesus. The scene was so popular that it inspired communities throughout Catholic countries to stage similar pantomimes.

The nativity tradition thus started in the late Middle Ages in Italy. Italy is still one of the countries with the strongest nativity traditions, although of course “Italy” back then was not quite the same as it was under the Roman Empire or what it is now.

The Middle Ages is a long historic period in Europe starting abt 500 AD with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and lasting to abt 1500 AD when the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery took over.

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo: (1617-1682): Saint Francis embraces Christ on the cross (1668), Museo de Bellas Artes de Sevilla, Spain. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stfrancisembrace1668.jpg

Catholic Christianity ruled most of Western Europe in those days – and religion very much organized everybody’s lives.

The Welcoming of Christ the Child at the beginning of the four Sundays of Advent that ends with Christmas Day, which is the 25 December, is one of the most important celebrations in the year.

Catholicism came to dominate Western Europe as The Roman Empire disintegrated. Catholicism is the teaching of the Bishop of Rome – there were five bishops in the early Christian World, and the Bishop in Rome became the Pope.

The Roman Empire was divided in two by Diocleatian in 284 AD. He believed the empire was too large to rule for one man and created the tetrarchy – a four man rule – with two rulers in the west (Maximian and Constantius the Pale) and two in the east (himself and Galerius).

Convinced of his own success he abdicated and soon the tetrarchy collapsed.

Constantine eventually restored order and became emperor in 305 AD and was the first Roman emperor who converted to Christianity.

Constantine. York Minister, England. Constantine is looking down on his sword, shaped like a cross.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Constantine_York_Minster.jpg

In Europe the border between the Western and Eastern Roman empires was made up by the Sava river and parts of the Drini river that flows into the Sava river, today part of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Christian Quarter, Jerusalem https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christian_Quarter,_Jerusalem_P1110406_%285905122355%29.jpg

Emperor Constantine who ruled until 337 AD is known as Constantine I or Constantine the Great. He re-founded Byzantium as “New Rome” until it became Constantinople.

Constantine promoted Christendom heavily and is often called the first Christian emperor. He called the first council of Nicaea in 325 AD which produced the Nicene Creed. The Nicene Creed affirms the doctrine of the holiness of the Son together with that of the Farther, the co-holiness of Jesus together with God.

The Eastern Roman empire was created 11 May 330 AD, and continued until 1453 AD, when it fell to the Ottoman Turks. The Byzantine empire was the most powerful economic, cultural and military power in Europe for the most of the thousand years it survived the fall and disintegration of the Western Roman empire.

Western Europe forgot almost all about the Eastern Roman empire even though Byzantine had lands in Italy for a long time and all the accumulated wisdom and knowledge as Western Europe sank into barbary and ignorance.

The first university in Western Europe was founded in Bologna, Italy in 1088, more than 500 years after the collapse of the Western Roman empire to the invading Frank and Germanic tribes. Most people had no inkling about what was going on in Byzantine or what treasures of knowledge and wisdom was kept alive there, like in the field of law.

University of Bologna, Italy. Founded 1088 AD.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bologna-vista02.jpg

The great emperor Charlemagne, 2 April 742 AD – 28 January 814 AD, is an important beacon in Western European history and culture. He unified most of Western and Central Europe through almost continuous military campaigning during his reign, only to create the chaos that has plagued Western Europe since his death, by dividing his empire between his three sons, roughly into France, Germany and Italy.

It can not be emphasized enough just how important the Catholic Church was for the reorganization of Western Europe after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire.

The church provided order and security after the chaos. It took care of the spiritual needs of the people and became a powerful political force, which it can be argued was later to become a burden.

However, by its powerful political influence it had influence over the powerful secular rulers, whom it could excommunicate and effectively make outcasts and then potential victims of other rulers that could take their lands.

The monks and nuns devoted their lives to prayers and good deeds and thereby founded the traditional European norms and values.

The Nativity is a way of helping people recall the slow and meticulous progress from the past, in order to help preserve these values today.

Salzburg

We will continue our story of the Nativity in Austria in Salzburg, after having published the first books about Nativity in Vienna and Hallstatt.

Dec 2018 The great Salzburg castle Hohensalzburg towering over the city showing the might of the Prince-Archbishop.

Salzburg has been continuously settled since 500 BC by the Celts and in 15 BC the Romans merged the settlements and fortified the city, they called Juvavum, against the German tribes that attacked the Empire. In 45 AD it was elevated to status of a Roman municipium.

The Western Roman Empire collapsed with the onslaughts of Attila the Hun, who died in Rome 423 AD, and Germanic tribes, see Christmas Market Slovenia. Salzburg city fell to ruins.

Theodo, count of Bavaria (623 – 715 AD) appointed St Rupert to become bishop in Salzburg c. 700 AD. A toll was collected from the 8th century on the salt barges travelling the river Salsach therefore the name Salzburg, the Salt Castle. Tolls must be enforced. (Read more about salt in Christmas Nativity Hallstatt)

In 1077 AD Archbishop Gebhard constructed the Hochensalzburg fortress, which is still on top of the cliff, overlooking the city.

Salzburg was a part of Bavaria until the 14th century, when it became an independent Prince-Bishophric in the Holy Roman Empire.

Filialkirche heillige Katharina in Dornbach Detail of the gothic bishop statue St. Rupert after restoration: The gilding and silvering from the Baroque period was in very poor condition. Bda.at. Wikimedia Commons.