Canada Post released a set of three stamps to celebrate the Christmas 2012, feature the Nativity story in Coloured Stain-glass.
This beautiful scene, vibrant and rich in colour, comes from the 150-year-old stained glass windows of the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Kingston, Ontario.
Coloured glass was adopted by Christian churches of the 4th and 5th centuries. It was used extensively to communicate Biblical stories to a mostly illiterate population.
The Madonna and Child pairing has been part of Christian art for almost two millennia. As Christianity spread and Mary’s role in Jesus’ life became more prominent, artistic images of her grew less formal and became more human and maternal.
Encyclopedia Britannica states that :
"according to Western church tradition, Balthasar is often represented as a king of Arabia, Melchior as a king of Persia, and Gaspar as a king of India.
According to the Gospel of Matthew, the Magi found Jesus by 'following' a star. After found Jesus, they gave him three symbolic gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh.
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