Ways to see Christmas

Vol. 10, No. 25

December 12, 2025

On the cover: Sixteenth-century Flemish painter Brueghel the Elder’s “The Census at Bethlehem” places the Holy Family’s pre-Christmas journey in a chaotic Northern European landscape. Why does it matter? Because even in Christian art, the Christmas season can fall victim to familiar imagery and cliches. So this year, we asked Catholic art historian Elizabeth Lev for four unusual, surprising works of art that can help us pray and think about Christmas differently this year. Read about her picks starting on Page 10.