Visit Us
Walk through history as we guide you to things to learn, places to discover, and events that help connect us to our rich heritage.
Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites is pleased to open up our historic sites and experiences 7 days a week. Plan your visit today!
December 12th, 2019 | In The News
Written by Jennifer Sheehan for The Morning Call
We’re going to go out on a limb here with this statement: The ultimate expression of holiday creativity is the Christmas tree.
We can thank German immigrants for bringing the Christmas tree tradition to America in the early 1800s. Since that time, the Christmas tree has evolved into an expression of not only creativity (and even art in some cases), but also of ethnic traditions and pride.
Whether you’re looking for inspiration for your own tree, or just a reason to get into the spirit of the season, we have two exhibits devoted to the Christmas tree you’ll want to check out this holiday season.
Christmas in South Bethlehem — An Ethnic Experience
When and where: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Jan. 3; Bethlehem Visitors Center at SteelStacks; 711 E. 1st St., Bethlehem.
When the Windish people emigrated to South Bethlehem, few had enough money for expensive decorations. So, they chose to adorn their Christmas trees with wrapped candies and nuts, cookies, oranges, apples and a precious few glass ornaments.
In African-American homes, Christmas trees were often decorated with pine cones, pecans and walnuts hung by brightly colored ribbons with a silver star on top — representing the Christ child.
Each year, an exhibit hosted by the South Bethlehem Historical Society — “Christmas In South Bethlehem – An Ethnic Experience” — celebrates those diverse decorating traditions. This year’s exhibit marks its 28th year in a new location, the Bethlehem Visitors Center at SteelStacks.
Translate the Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites website into your language of choice!