East Hills Moravian Church
"Christmas Putz"

            Putz Showings Begin For the 26th year in a row, our congregation is poised to share the Christmas Story through the gentle beauty of the Putz. Who will come through our doors to discover this small wonder? Children from our EHMC nursery school and local elementary schools, senior citizens from assisted living apartments, tourists on seasonal bus trips to Bethlehem, families from our neighborhood and, of course, members of our own church community will all have their hearts warmed and their spirits touched by the presentation. And, for the first time, a Spanish-language version will be offered, opening up many new possibilities.

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            The word "Putz" is a loose translation from the German, meaning "to decorate." A Christmas putz is a tradition dating back to the Middle Ages. Priests placed figures of the Holy Family in churches so people had a clearer idea of the Christmas story. In its simplest form, a Putz is a decoration, representing a miniature landscape, that is placed under a Christmas tree to illustrate the story of the Christ Child's Nativity. Moravians brought many hand carved Nativity figures with them and constructed Putzes in their homes. The practice of going from house to house to enjoy them is called "Putzing."

            A "putz" (pronounced pootz--German for "to make beautiful.") is a miniature manger scene which many Moravian families display every year. Sometimes the figures are family heirlooms or have been acquired from abroad. In addition, several Moravian churches display a putz for public viewing during the Advent and Christmas seasons. These displays are rather large and take many hours of combined effort by church members for pre-construction, construction, staffing during display times and for tear-down. Many of the items used in the display are handmade or donated by members of the congregation. The displays usually done in a darkened room with lights highlighting the various scenes and a "background tape" describing the scenes as they are viewed. The following is about the putz at East Hills Moravian Church. Numerous visitors, including those on bus tours to the City of Bethlehem PA, view the putz during the holiday season. It is one of three by Bethlehem area churches, with others at Central Moravian and Edgeboro Moravian.

            The East Hills Moravian Christmas Putz is a joyful reminder of the real meaning of Christmas. Through the nativity figurines, moss, lighting, music, buildings, and the beauty of the scenes, thousands of visitors have enjoyed and been touched by our putz. A taped narration, music, and spotlighted scenes tell the wondrous story of Christ's birth.

Lovingly crafted to bring the Christmas story to life through narration, music, synchronized lighting and, of course, an intricately detailed nativity scene, the EHMC Putz is now open. In its 25th year of operation, the Putz is available for viewing through December 30^th.

On Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, come between 6:00 and 8:00 PM.
On Saturdays and Sundays, between 3:00 and 7:00 PM.
Group tours are also available by appointment, Monday-Sunday.

The Christmas Putz 2007 Schedule

Public walk-in hours:
Wednesday-Friday 6pm-8pm
Saturday and Sunday 3pm-7pm