Christmas countdown day 5: Christmas cards

Beyond Christmas cards: a guide to the season’s art, past and present

Jonathan Evens

Jonathan is Team Rector for Wickford and Runwell. He is co-author of The Secret Chord, and writes on the arts.

A stained-glass style illustration of an Inuit mother cradling an infant with a halo-like background.

Northern lullaby, Nori Peter, Canada.

via BAME Anglican.

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The Christmas Countdown

It’s the season to be jolly, stressed, and all round Christmassy. On the Seen & Unseen Aloud podcast, we’re here for you with our Aloud Christmas Countdown!

Every day in December, we’ll drop some of the best seasonal content from Seen & Unseen Aloud. From how to survive Christmas, reviews of the best Christmas movies and the origin story of Santa Claus.

For when you’ve got your hands full of mince pies and baubles, but you still want to hear some thoughtful content, subscribe to Seen & Unseen Aloud for the Christmas Countdown.

Subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or Amazon.

Throughout the year, the Seen & Unseen Aloud brings you the week’s best articles, in a short 20 minute podcast episode. Browse the index for episodes from Seen & Unseen Aloud, Re-enchanting and GodPod.

Podcast

Podcasts

Seen & Unseen Aloud

20 October 2025

1 min read

A wild Belle, Sarah Mullally and 'defending our girls'.

New episode: listen to articles by Jonathan Evens, George Pitcher, and Belle Tindall.

Natalie Garrett

Natalie produces and narrates The Seen & Unseen Aloud podcast. She's an Anglican minister and a trained actor.

A protester hold a blue flare towards the camera

An asylum hotel protester, Epping.

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About this episode

In this episode, Jonathan Evens takes us to Union Chapel where Natalie Bergman's soul-soaked set turned personal tragedy into communal celebration. George Pitcher evokes historical precedent for why Sarah Mullally’s appointment as Archbishop of Canterbury is about more than just breaking the stained-glass ceiling. And Belle Tindall passionately suggests that “Defending our girls” is less about safety, more about scapegoating (please be aware of potentially triggering content in this last article).