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Lifestyle
Chris Greenough, Professor of Social Sciences, Edge Hill University

Five Christmas story elements that don’t appear in the Bible, from the little donkey to the inn keeper

PixelDarkroom/Shutterstock

Despite the secularisation of Christmas, biblical symbolism seems to be everywhere at this time of year.

From images of the Virgin Mary on Christmas cards to carols about the little donkey, the baby Jesus in nativity scenes and the three kings in school plays, there’s no shortage of retellings of the biblical story of Jesus’ birth.

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