Description

Class Summary

On Christmas Eve in 1741, the Moravians who founded the town of Bethlehem gathered together and sang a hymn, christening the town after the village where Christ was born. Since then, Moravian holiday customs have made their way into popular culture and Bethlehem has been known as the Christmas City since 1937. From the Christmas tree to candles in the window, decorating a “putz,” and the famous Moravian star, the symbols and traditions associated with the Moravians have become icons of the Christmas spirit. This course will delve into these and other Christmas traditions celebrated among Pennsylvania Germans through the holidays.

About the Instructor

Christopher Malone specializes in Pennsylvania German material culture with a focus on the Moravians and other intentional communities. He earned a master’s in architecture from Syracuse University and a master’s in American material culture from the Winterthur Program. He has worked for the Moravian Historical Society and is currently the curator at Historic Trappe and the content curator for Americana Insights, a publication of American folk art and material culture. Christopher edits The Daily Antiquarian blog focusing on the history, architecture, and material culture of the Mid-Atlantic region.