In 1741, Moravian settlers named a Pennsylvania city after the birthplace of Jesus. More than 250 years later, the residents of Bethlehem continue their Christmas traditions.

The Moravian Church is one of the world’s oldest Protestant denominations (groups). Its name comes from the region of Moravia. Today, that area is in the Czech Republic.

The church traces its roots back to John Hus. He believed his church members should read the Bible in their native language instead of Latin. 

His ideas inspired a group of people to leave the Roman Catholic Church. That group founded the Moravian Church in 1457. 

Moravian missionaries later settled in Pennsylvania. On Christmas Eve 1741, their leader led them to a stable. They sang the hymn “Jesus Call Thou Me.” Its lyrics say: “Not Jerusalem—lowly Bethlehem ’twas that gave us Christ to save us.” That’s why they named the settlement Bethlehem. (They named a nearby town Nazareth!)

The settlers brought with them hand-carved wooden figures. They used them to retell the story of Christ’s birth. The tradition is known as the putz. That name comes from the German word putzen. It means to clean or decorate.

In Victorian days, Bethlehem’s residents would “go putzing.” Between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day, they visited each other’s homes to look at nativity scenes.

In 1937, the city’s leaders promoted Bethlehem as “Christmas City USA.” Citizens took the putz tradition to the Hotel Bethlehem on Main Street. Thousands of people turned up.

The hotel couldn’t handle the large number of visitors. So Central Moravian Church hosted the putz.

Every Christmas since, the church has put on a community putz.

This year, Central Moravian displayed dozens of wooden figures. They included angels, shepherds, and kings carrying gifts. 

The choir sang hymns. Church members handed out buns and mugs of coffee. They call it a “lovefeast.” Afterwards, the congregation lit candles adorned with red ribbons. 

 The shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”  And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. — Luke 2:15-16