The "Christmas Traditions In Pennsylvania Dutch Country" Story

It was an ordinary day.  The tree is up and decorated, the lights are hanging from the garage (at least for now), the reindeer are aglow in the yard, the stockings are hung on the lighted garland which circles the stairwell and Carol's collection of ornamental deer has grown so much that they now require two locations in the house.  Wow, we're all ready for Santa!  But, have we abided by all the traditions that are Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  You know ... Amishland, PA!  There really are a few traditions that many may have never heard of ... and I guess you know by now ... I'm going to tell you about them.

•  I believe a few years ago I mentioned the Moravian Star which we displayed in our window years ago until I replaced one of the lights inside the star with a bulb that was to high a wattage and it melted the plastic star.  

  

  The Moravian Star

  The first Moravian Star was made in the early 1800s in Niesky, Germany as a math project in a boy's school.  The star was red and white and represented the blood and purity of Christ.  The German Moravians eventually immigrated to nearby Lititz, PA and brought their star with them as a symbol of Christmastime.  Eventually Lititz grew away from an all-Moravian community, thus people of many denominations began using the Moravian Star as a symbol or tradition of Christmas.

• I might have also mentioned a few years ago the Belsnickel which is the Pennsylvania German version of Santa Claus.  
  
  Only difference is, the Belsnickel carries a whip. Yep, the Belsnickel was a mischievous hobgoblin who was a crotchety, fur-wearing, gift-giver who threatened children who don't behave with a switch-thrashing.  Seems like borderline child abuse, doesn't it.

• The Putz, or diorama is the Pennsylvania German interpretation of the Nativity scene.  

  

  A putz

  Something like a train yard or hand-made little buildings that might have been illuminated and placed under the tree for extra light.  There is a Christmas putz in the town of Lititz, PA that has been in the town square since 1756.  A few years ago the ACLU tried to have them remove it, but it was proven that the ground on which the putz was placed wasn't public property, but privately owned, so the putz remains to this day.

• There is one Pennsylvania Dutch tradition that I have never seen in real life, but have heard of it.  Known as the Upside-Down Christmas Tree since it was usually hung from the ceiling rather than being placed on the floor.  
  
  And why, you may ask, did they do that.  Well, back in the early 1820s, when this tradition began in Lancaster County, there seemed to be a myriad of mice and other varmints running loose in the homes of many Pennsylvania Dutch.  The custom at that time was to hang snitz (dried apple garland) on the tree and the only way to keep the snitz from being eaten by the aforementioned creatures was to hang it from the ceiling.  According to the local newspaper, this custom is gaining a following once again in Lancaster County.  Not going to happen in my home!

• The final Lancaster County tradition is the Second Christmas.  This custom of celebrating the day after Christmas as the "secular" holiday allows Christmas to be celebrated as a religious holiday or biblical holiday.  The first documentation of Second Christmas in America appears in the German-language "Volksfreund" of Lancaster on December 27, 1808.  The Amish still celebrate Second Christmas with festive gatherings and opening of presents.  Not sure what they think of Jolly Old St. Nick.  

Well, there you have a few of the local traditions that have been brought to Lancaster County by the many immigrants that found their way to the "Garden Spot of America."  I'm sure there may be many other local traditions in other parts of the world that celebrate Christmas, but for now, I'm busy with my own local traditions.  Opening gifts while sitting around the tree with the family and then having a Christmas Dinner of ham and scalloped potatoes is my way of celebrating Christmas.  Oh yeah, have to read the Christmas prayer at dinner from the old book that belonged to my dad.  Still use that for the blessing at all important meals during the year.  If Dad is watching over us, I'm sure he's loving it!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.