Christmas Angels

Angels we have heard on high 
Sweetly singing o’er the plain. .  .

Susan here, wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season and a happy, healthy, great New Year, in hopes we are all headed into a much better year at last. Of all the Christmas ornaments we bring out in our house each year, I love the angels the most—from the angel that tops the tree each year to a growing assortment of angels, glittery, lovely, delicate and whimsical. For several years now, that’s all that goes on our tree—angels, along with stars, snowflakes, pearls, and white lights.

Angels at Christmastime are reminders of the angels who appeared to shepherds in the fields outside long-ago Bethlehem to point out the star overhead and a birth in a stable. Those angels, we are told, awed, startled, and probably terrified the shepherds with their magnificence. Today, the angels who gaze down at us from Christmas trees and displays are benign and lovely, but somehow magical nonetheless.  

Love came down at Christmas 
love all lovely, love divine 
love was born at Christmas
stars and angels gave the sign.

- Christina Rossetti

Angels were part of the original nativity event, bringing the news to Mary, informing Joseph in dreams, appearing to the shepherds, and singing the news in heavenly choruses, so we are told. They are mentioned earlier still, in the Old Testament and Talmud as guides and messengers, and before that in Mesopotamian and Egyptian texts and images. Timeless, beautiful, spiritual entities, sometimes cherubic and adorable, or magnificent and awe-inspiring, or whimsical, quirky, homespun, and on and on, angels are a special part of Yuletide.

Here are some Christmas angels to brighten up the Yuletide season!

Niccolo di Sozza Angel, Hyde Collection, Glens Falls NY

 

Christmas is truly the season of angels -- and for centuries, the presence of angels has helped keep the spirit, spark, and magic of the holiday alive in millions of homes worldwide. Wishing you all the magic of the season - and a happy new year! 

 

Comments

[Mary T]

The artwork included with this post is lovely. My angel (tree) ornaments were always my favorite.

Wishing you and all of the wenches a wonderful and happy New Year.

[Kathryn]

Happy Christmas and a better new year to all! My favorites are the angels on the tree as well. I have been purchasing a Hallmark angel every year since 1984, so the hard part is finding the right place for each of them!

[Kareni]

Thank you for your lovely post, Susan. I also like angels.

We have a pair of paua shell angel ornaments that my husband and I purchased on a trip to New Zealand about ten years ago; it's fun to see them on the Christmas tree each year. We also have a set of small wooden angels each with a musical instrument that I bought many years ago; the fact that the box says they are from East Germany is telling.

I posted this here recently, but I very much like the angels pictured in Richard Jesse Watson's illustrations in The High Rise Glorious Skittle Skat Roarious Sky Pie Angel Food Cake written by Nancy Willard. You can see some of the illustrations here ~ https://www.richardjessewatson.com/books/the_high_risecake

[Jan]

I love angels and have quite a collection of them. As to Christmas angels, I have enough ornaments to decorate a whole tree with just angels. The oldest one was given to me by an older neighbor when my hubby and I were first married (53 years). It was given to her by her father. I also have frog collection including three frog angels.

[Patricia Franzino]

A large angel with a crimson dress tops my tree and smaller white and gold angels are under that one and around the upper part of the tree.

The paintings you included are so beautiful. Thank you for the post.

All the best and highest prosperity possible to you and yours for 2022!

[Mary M.]

I just luuuuv the skeptical angel with her arms crossed! Like, "Yeh, pull the other one 'cuz I'm not buying that." My kind of spirit.

[Binnie Syril Braunstein]

Mary Jo-Thank you for the paw-dorable column about Cincinnati's Christmas Reindog parade. And thanks to Laura Resnick for sharing her pix. And Susan-your post about angels was lovely. May their benevolence shine over us all.

[Karin]

Thank you for the lovely angel images, especially, as Mary pointed out, the angel with the attitude!

[Constance]

Thanks so much for sharing all the lovely art, Susan. But you forgot to include a photograph of your own angel Christmas tree, which sounds just beautiful! Of the art included in the post, I particularly like the angel from the Hyde collection, with her arms crossed. Perhaps she’s exasperated at the commercialization of Christmas, or perhaps she’s just tired of flying. Some of us can share both sentiments. Here’s hoping everyone has a guardian angel in this coming year, who brings peace and joy and good health to you each!

[Annette N]

Thanks for the two wonderful posts.....actually I believe that most dogs are angels. Sometimes naughty angels but angels none the less.

I think the angel with the attitude is looking at the rest of us and thinking "when will they ever learn?".

I hope 2022 brings each of you joy and serenity. My word for the last couple of years has been "hope". I think in the coming year it should become "joy".

I hope everyone is well and safe and happy.