Moravian Christmas Traditions and the Evolution of the Holiday
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Chapter 1 Moravian Christmas Traditions and the Evolution of the Holiday “The Moravians know how to keep Christmos [ sic ].” — The Wachovia Moravian , December 1894 What was an early As December 25th approaches, through town households are being southern Moravian a rosy-cheeked girl, excused by her tidied and doorsteps and yards Christmas like? Nowhere did parents from school for the day, swept (if the mud is not too great). anyone write down in one place rushes importantly from one of the In between their everyday chores a detailed description of all of clapboard houses, quickly returning some mothers, older sisters, aunts, the activities at church and at with a small collection of the and grandmothers find time in their home leading to the celebration neighbor’s tin cookie cutters bundled orderly houses to hem a small of one of the most important in her checked apron. Eventually woolen petticoat or cut out a striped events in Moravian church his - the spicy aroma of freshly baked short gown for a little girl, knit some tory: the birth of the baby Jesus. Christmas cakes drifts from the warm socks or sew up a new linen However, through diaries, jour - outside oven sheltered in a lean- shirt for a growing boy. If they finish nals, church reports, and letters, to at the back of the narrow lot. The in time, these useful gifts may be along with an informed specula - mouth-watering smell mingles with placed on a table in the sitting room tion, we are able to piece togeth - the honeyed odor of warm beeswax to be distributed when the family er a narration. So, to begin, let us emanating from a nearby shed returns from the Christmas Eve part the curtains to the past on where several women are dipping lovefeast at the church. an early southern Moravian candles for the lovefeasts. Two A few days before Christmas Christmas. young men emerge from the commu - the schoolteacher and some of his nity store with some loosely- It is a brisk, cold day in late pupils, all wearing closely knit warm wrapped sugar candies, purchased November about two hundred years caps, pass by on a borrowed horse- for their godchildren, and walk ago in Salem, North Carolina. The drawn wagon bound for the country briskly down the dirt street. As they cacophony of tradesmen’s tools, the where they will seek out a supply of stride along, deep in conversation, creaking of wagon wheels, and the pine, cedar, laurel, and moss to use indistinct German phrases float rhythmic clip-clopping of horses’ in the church decoration. When upward, linger, and fade. All hooves mingle with the shrill squeals they return, the teacher and several of pigs being readied for butchering in adult friends from the Single several backyards along Main Street. Brothers’ house begin to construct Children scurry about to help their their essential Christmas decora - parents in this arduous, but neces - tion, the Putz . During the construc - sary task, a job so essential that tion they hang some bedsheets to it takes precedence over school. conceal the unfinished project. In readiness for the making of They painstakingly build a cider, wine, and brandy, the framework to be placed at pungent odor of fermenting the back of the minister’s apples wafts from the direction table and then piece together of the brewery and distillery the green garlands, festoons, west of town. Faint sounds of and swags, attaching to music issue from the church where them large cut-out paper the organist practices a special letters of German words that Advent anthem. The first whisper of when translated read “Glory to God Christmas is in the air. in the Highest.” A small watercolor Let them believe in Santa Claus, or St. Nicholas, or Kriss Kringle, or whatever the name the jolly Dutch saint bears in your region. Marion Harland The Christmas Holly, 1867 Putz at the Salem Tavern, early twentieth-century. Old Salem Historic Photograph Collection, Old Salem Museums & Gardens (hereafter OSHPC). transparency of the Holy family is nied by musicians playing violins, a placed in the center of the arrange - viola, trombones, clarinets, and ment, and a number of candlesticks French horns. There are a dozen or are arranged beside and behind it to more visitors in the sanctuary, many effectively illuminate it when the of them guests at the tavern, and time comes. After many hours or they sing the familiar tunes softly in even days of work, on completion their own language, while the they celebrate at the afternoon ves - enslaved African Americans seated per with a glass of wine, a slice of on the long bench at the back of the apple cake, coffee, and perhaps a church follow along as best they can, good cigar. some in German and some in Christmas Eve arrives at last. To English. By the soft light of the gold - simplify matters, a late vesper and en-colored candles the devout group early supper may be combined. As drinks warm tea or sugar-sweetened the afternoon fades, mothers with lovefeast coffee mixed with milk and their babies and small children walk savors the hearty and substantial to the church at the corner of the yeast bread. The children receive gifts square for the five o’clock lovefeast that have been neatly tied to two service especially designed for the small evergreen trees arranged on little ones. Two hours later families, either side of the nativity scene. Cries including their larger children, return of delight indicate their appreciation for the Christmas Eve service. They of the printed Bible verses lovingly divide into their special choir sections embellished by the minister’s wife, upon entering at the two separate shiny red apples , and spicy cakes doors, the men and older boys sitting (Lebkuchen) . The older boys and on one side, the women and older girls recite their verses received at last girls on the opposite side. Children sit year’s celebration before they are all at the front. Led by the minister, who presented with lighted candles to rep - reads the Christmas story from the resent Christ as the light of the second chapter of Luke, they enjoy world. It is quite dark now, and the singing in unison as well as flickering flames dance and weave, antiphonally (responsively) some forming giant shadows on the walls. carefully selected hymns accompa - Stepping into the cold night air, the 2 congregation observes snowflakes tallow candles, and English, and of course gently cloaking the trees in white. the parents are con - there is much music. As they tread gingerly through the tent with their efforts At home for dinner pow dery mixture, some of the to bring the story of A few neighbors served at about noon older adults reflect on their own long the beloved Jesus into with their there is a piece of ago childhoods in Pennsylvania, as their home. A song is roasted pork, or maybe well as various countries of Europe, sung, a prayer is said, children may a turkey, sauerkraut England, and Africa . and the young people or cabbage, potatoes, may again repeat visit each pickles, bread and but - Upon reaching home, the parents their memorized Bible ter, a fruit pie, pound stir up the coals from the ashes of the other’s Putz verses. As the family cake, and beer, wine, fireplace, add more wood, and retires, they hear the decoration. or cider. Later in the observe that a bucket of water on the night watchman’s afternoon there are opposite wall has begun to freeze. voice calling the hour short choir meetings While the children remove outer gar - and chanting a verse where a vesper of cof - ments and nibble on their cache of from one of the hymns earlier sung fee or tea with the Christmas ginger sweet cakes from church along with at church. Tomorrow morning the cakes is enjoyed. A few neighbors apples and cider, a fire is built in the children will carefully place the tiny with their children may visit each sitting room and finally that door, infant in the empty crib and linger other’s Putz decoration. A supper of which had concealed the adults’ there, repositioning the animals and leftovers is taken in haste so as Christmas preparations including the adding to the straw as they relish to hurry again to church for more Putz and some small gifts, is opened each tiny detail of their own Putz . music, worship, and fellowship. At with a flourish. Revealed on the table this meeting perhaps some of the is a small carved wood or paper Christmas Day begins with school girls present a well-rehearsed nativity set, lovingly unpacked from chores and perhaps some work proj - ode, a recitation and musical a chest in the garret and carefully ects. There may be two morning dialogue about the birth of Jesus, nestled in moss and evergreens with church services, the first liturgical which has been prepared by the a few sheep grazing close by on a and the second a longer preaching minister. rocky slope. The young people are service at which there are again mesmerized at the sight of such a some visitors to whom the minister As Salem grows and evolves over diminutive scene highlighted by the may offer a portion of the sermon in time, the English language becomes Salem Putz at Home Moravian Church’s Candle Tea. Courtesy of Women’s Fellowship, Home Moravian Church. 3 MORAVIAN CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS prevalent and many more goods small presents. The Putz grows to The scene fades.