December temperatures average 33-55 degrees Fahrenheit in Bethlehem’s Mediterranean climate. That’s cold, but not much colder than, say, North Florida. And it’s rainy. So where did we get all these images of peaceful snow-clad landscapes? Did you ever see a Christmas scene that included rain?

Most of our usual artistic imagery comes from our experience of Northern European winters—even when it includes palm trees. Don’t look for logic in Christmas art.

Look instead at nativity scenes from around the world: Africa, Asia, Australia. Many things—clothing, animals, stable, vegetation—are differently pictured, but Jesus, Mary, and Joseph are always the same.

In our modern world, too many children grow up without a father; foster systems and orphanages are overwhelmed with “throwaway” children. How can we see Joseph as more than a marginal figure when most of our Christmas songs don’t even mention him? Readers grump about the Christmas “begats,” with all those strange names that are difficult to pronounce—but it all leads down to Joseph, the husband of Mary. What would Mary and her child have done without him?

Look carefully at the texts of the songs you choose. The classic “Of the Father’s Love Begotten” (Divinum Mysterium) speaks eloquently of God’s love for humanity.  Among the few Christmas songs that reference Joseph are: “The Snow Lay on the Ground” (Venite Adoremus); the fourth verse of “Angels We Have Heard on High” (Gloria); John Bell’s “The Aye Carol”; and Herman Stuempfle’s text for “Still As Dew Falls on the Meadow” (Glyn). Hard on the heels of Christmas will comes the feast of the Holy Family, when these songs can also serve to bring Joseph back into focus.