This icon of the Nativity of Christ is our Jubilee 2000 Icon because we are celebrating Jesus' birthday. This icon was printed on our year 2000 calendars.
The icon of the Nativity represents many of the events of the Nativity. Icons are not photographs, but rather they tell a story: the the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus in the cave (the center; the background behind Jesus in the cave is always dark because Jesus came to enlighten the darkness of the world), the angels appearing to the shepherds (top left), the Magi on their way to Bethlehem following the star (top right), Joseph having doubts and being tempted by the devil to leave Mary (bottom right), and finally the Child Jesus is being bathed during the journey to Egypt (bottom left; it reminds us that our children are being born again in the water of baptism and that they are born into the life of Christ.)
There is a beautiful legend about Jesus' journey to Egypt. When Blessed Mary was allowed to bathe Jesus in one of the homes, the mother of another child was jealous of the beauty of the Child Jesus. Her own son had a bad rash and she purposely put her own son into the water with Jesus so that Jesus would also get the rash. But instead her son was cured. The mother repented for her evil intention. This boy grew up and became a thief. He was saved on the Cross by Jesus and is known as the Good Thief.