On Christmas Eve in 1741, Moravian settlers named this Pennsylvania metropolis after the biblical birthplace of Jesus. Almost 300 years later, Moravians proceed celebrating their Christmas season traditions in Bethlehem.

They embrace the “putz,” a Nativity scene that tells the story of Christ’s beginning with miniature picket collectible figurines, the making of 1000’s of beeswax candles by hand as an emblem of the sunshine that Jesus delivered to the world and a “lovefeast,” a tune service the place worshippers share a easy meal of candy buns and low of their pews.

“Like all Moravian traditions, the significance of it’s that it brings individuals collectively,” mentioned the Rev. Janel Rice, senior pastor of Central Moravian Church — Bethlehem’s first congregation and the oldest Moravian church in North America.

“Constructing group, emphasizing that, over doctrine or dogma, is basically the Moravian observe and custom at our core,” she mentioned.

Moravians relate to the story of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Rice mentioned, as a result of their ancestors started as a refugee church fleeing non secular persecution. The Nativity can be a poignant reminder in the present day, when the variety of individuals fleeing their properties due to conflict, violence and persecution continues to rise worldwide.

“It’s so essential as a result of this story isn’t just Jesus’s story of two,000 years in the past. It’s in the present day’s story. And we have to ensure that we’re residing the phrase that we have been advised on the subject of these refugees,” mentioned church member Sarah Wascura. “That phrase is to present them refuge and to care for them and to like them as ourselves.”

A city based on Christmas Eve

The Moravian Church is likely one of the world’s oldest Protestant denominations. Its identify comes from the historic provinces of Bohemia and Moravia in what’s now the Czech Republic.

Their beliefs of observe over dogma started with a spiritual reformer, John Hus, who led a protest motion towards a few of the practices of Roman Catholic hierarchy. Hus believed congregants in his church ought to take heed to Mass and browse the Bible of their native Czech as an alternative of Latin. He was accused of heresy and burned on the stake in 1415.

His concepts have been carried on by his supporters, who broke with Rome and based the Moravian Church, or Unitas Fratrum (Unity of Brethren) in 1457 — many years earlier than Martin Luther’s Protestant Reformation.

Moravians dealing with persecution ultimately fled to Herrnhut, Germany, and established the unique Renewed Moravian Church settlement, in accordance with accounts of church historical past.

Moravian missionaries later settled in Pennsylvania.

On Christmas Eve in 1741, their chief, Rely Nicolas Ludwig von Zinzendorf, who was visiting them, led them to a steady, the place they sang the hymn “Jesus Name Thou Me.” Its lyrics say: “Not Jerusalem — lowly Bethlehem ’twas that gave us Christ to avoid wasting us.” Thus impressed, Zinzendorf named the settlement Bethlehem.

A beloved custom retells the story of the beginning of Jesus

Bethlehem’s first settlers introduced with them hand-carved figures to retell the story of Christ’s beginning. The custom is named the putz, from the German phrase “putzen,” which means to wash or enhance.

“It relates again to the creches of the Center Ages,” Rice mentioned. “But it surely’s not only a creche, which might be simply the one Nativity scene.”

As a substitute, it makes use of figures to inform totally different components of the Gospel in miniature, together with Mary’s annunciation and the go to of the three clever males to the toddler Jesus.

In Victorian days, Rice mentioned, Bethlehem’s residents would “go putzing” — visiting one another’s properties between Christmas Eve and New 12 months’s Day to take a look at Nativity scenes.

In 1937, the native chamber of commerce launched a marketing campaign selling Bethlehem as “Christmas Metropolis USA.” As a part of that promotion, they took the custom of the putz to the historic Resort Bethlehem on Principal Road. 1000’s turned up.

“The story goes that the lodge obtained so crowded that they couldn’t actually accommodate the variety of those that have been coming to see it, and so they requested Central Moravian Church to host it.”

For each Christmas since then, the group putz has been put collectively by the church’s congregants and displayed on the close by Christian schooling constructing.

“It’s greater than Christmas for 4 weeks a 12 months,” mentioned Wascura, who went to the putz on her first date with Bob Wascura, her husband of 33 years.

“The character of the religion heritage of town is one thing that’s by no means forgotten.”

On a latest day, she led households visiting the group putz to their seats. After recounting a short historical past of the Moravian Church and the Pennsylvania metropolis, she drew a curtain to show the handfuls of picket figures — angels, shepherds, kings carrying presents — in a tiny panorama adorned with pebbles, wooden and moss.

Kids and fogeys listened to the recorded voice of Janel Rice, who narrated the biblical story in regards to the different Bethlehem.

“We would surprise why establishing a putz and telling the story of Jesus’ beginning is so essential to the Moravians, and now to town of Bethlehem,” Rice says within the recording. “One purpose has to do with the naming of town itself.”

The church choir, after some singing, gave technique to the highly effective sound of the famend Moravian Trombone Choir, identified for enjoying its brassy tunes from the belfry of Central Moravian Church. When the lights turned on, kids approached the stage to lookup shut on the collectible figurines and level at surprises close to the manger, together with miniature zebras, lions and giraffes.

“We really feel actually fortunate to reside so near Bethlehem with the entire historical past right here and particularly the historical past pertaining to Christmas,” mentioned customer Kelly Ann Ryan. “It’s simply one thing that we will’t miss each vacation season because it rolls round.”

She got here to Bethlehem from a close-by city along with her husband, Daniel, and their 5- and 8-year-old sons to see the group putz, in what she mentioned has grow to be a household custom.

“Telling the Christmas story this manner is an effective way for teenagers to attach with it.”

Lighting candles on Christmas Eve, becoming a member of Santa for a sleigh trip

Christmas — from the Christian celebration to the secular industrial vacation — is omnipresent in Bethlehem.

On a latest day, Santa Claus checked on a purple sleigh (drawn by horses as an alternative of reindeer) outdoors Central Moravian earlier than he led households who hopped on for a tour of Bethlehem and its Moravian church settlements, which have been just lately designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Website.

Others strolled to close by holiday-themed picket huts or alongside Principal Road with its shops adorned with Christmas globes and Moravian stars. Some stopped outdoors an Italian restaurant to greet Santa and Mrs. Claus, who welcomed diners and posed for images.

Throughout city, distributors bought ornaments at Christkindlmarkt, within the shadow of rusting blast furnaces of Bethlehem Metal illuminated in purple and inexperienced. That firm as soon as provided metal for development of the Empire State Constructing, the Golden Gate Bridge and different landmarks.

At Central Moravian, the choir sang hymns whereas sacristans handed out buns and mugs of espresso to households who loved the sustenance of their pews on the “lovefeast.”

After Rice delivered a remaining blessing, Linda Thudium walked up the steps and opened a big closet, the place the congregation retains 1000’s of handmade candles wrapped in purple ribbons that they mild throughout Christmas companies.

“To me, that is Christmas — these candles,” mentioned Thudium. She recalled attending Christmas Eve companies with lit candles since she was 5, a convention she continued along with her kids and grandchildren.

“To me, that is simply magical. I keep in mind my dad and mom doing this, my grandparents,” she mentioned. “It’s only a fantastic heat feeling of being related with this church.”

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