So What's a "Putz?"

Church St. & Central Moravian Church, December 1972

We have a month until Christmas. Things are going to be busy, so here's news and links of an old Moravian tradition.

Here's a link to WFMZ-TV in the Lehigh Valley and a video piece on the "Putz" at Central Moravian Church in Bethlehem, PA.

LINK to WFMZ

What is a "Putz," you ask?

According to Wikipedia:

In early-colonial American Moravian homes, the construction of a nativity scene, or putz, at the base of a Christmas tree was a very common holiday activity. The term was derived from the German verb putzen, which means "to clean" or "to decorate."

Central Moravian Putz link

Some other links found quickly on Google:

Nazareth Moravian Web page

Facebook for Edgeboro Moravian Church

Mountainview Moravian Link

East Hills Moravian Link

Article on First Moravian York, PA, putz from 2008

Even in Labrador, a link