The Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites Putz Trail sends visitors to five sites, each featuring a “putz.” These traditional Moravian decorative displays used around Christmastime get their name from “putzen,” a German term, meaning “to decorate” or “to embellish.”

The tradition began in the 18th century with home displays. Neighbors would go out “putzing” by visiting Christmas putzes within the Moravian community.

Today, these miniature seasonal productions, often accompanied by a recorded narrative and light show, tell the Nativity story through the use of ornate, hand-crafted figurines, along with model replicas of buildings from biblical times through present day.

All feature a Nativity scene. Most include Bethlehem’s first log cabin and pay tribute to the Native Americans the Moravians interacted with.

The Historic Bethlehem Museum sites are accessible to those who have purchased Trees of Historic Bethlehem tickets through Jan. 9.

The Moravian Museum Gemeinhaus at 66 W. Church St., Bethlehem has a collection of putz figurines on display in a cabinet in the front parlor.

The nearby Single Sisters’ House on West Church boasts several displays among cinematic-themed Christmas trees.

The main putz, located on the first floor, prominently features the Moravian Church and village of Herrnhut in Saxony, where those of the faith found refuge against persecution on Count Nicholas Louis von Zinzendorf’s estate. A Nativity scene is nestled under pieces of driftwood.

Several wide windowsills in the Single Sisters’ House each sport a mini-putz with a Nativity scene. Visitors can even find Nemo in a windowsill putz.

New for 2021 is a remarkable display that fills up a large room on the second floor. (See “Bethlehem’s Model Neighborhood” on page A15.)

Information: https://historicbethlehem.org/holiday-putz-trail

There are additional Putz Trail locations in the Bethlehem area that do not require a Trees Pass to visit.

The three church-supported displays ended just ahead of Christmas Eve. Each presentation concluded with a spotlight on a present day model of their place of worship, from the 1803 Central Moravian Church, to the East Hills Moravian Church built in 1957.

The Central Moravian Church Christmas Putz is annually hosted at 40 W. Church St. in the lower level of Moravian Academy’s Christian Education Building. Central Moravian volunteer coordinator Richard Miller explained how the neighborhood home displays evolved into a centrally-located one at the Visitor’s Bureau on Main Street. in 1937; 14,000 people overwhelmed the site.

“The next year it went to the hotel [Hotel Bethlehem] and 32,000 people came and wore out their carpet and their welcome,” Miller continued.

In 1942, the putz was moved to its current home in the C.E. Building.

Nativity figurines, buildings and other donated pieces are placed among live moss and other greenery.

A Star & Candle Shoppe was located across the hall from the putz.

The Edgeboro Moravian Church at 645 Hamilton Ave., Bethlehem, shared the story of Jesus’ birth in sights and sounds with their ambitious putz. Church member and volunteer Arthur Sergent has been setting up the Christmas putz there for around 25 years. Sergent described how he and other volunteers collect around 21 milk crates of moss in late October. These get placed on top of wet newspaper that is draped over boxes and chicken wire.

As with the other displays, the putz at East Hills Moravian Church, 1830 Butztown Road, has various items sprinkled throughout that “don’t belong.” East Hills volunteer Linda Marsh explains, “Anomalous items in the putz is to get the children, to catch their attention, and then to have them look closely at the putz.” She adds, “While they are looking for the things that don’t belong, they see the things that do belong.”

Those with sharp eyes will notice various Disney characters and a Thomas the Tank Engine hiding among the greenery.

The Moravian Historical Society’s putz is open through Jan. 9 in the Gray Cottage adjacent to the 1740-1743 Whitefield House Museum at 214 E. Center St., Nazareth.

Here the story begins with the Annunciation and ends with the holy family fleeing to Egypt to avoid King Herod’s wrath.

According to Operations Manager Aubrey Baranowski, circa 1850s hand-carved items from the Krause/Morris family putz and more contemporary pieces from the Sullivan family putz are included in the Gray Cottage display.

Across the room are models of historic Lehigh Valley buildings, including the Whitefield House and Gray Cottage. These were built with basswood by Bethlehem resident Robert Wendler who passed away in 2004.

The cottage itself is an original log cabin built by the Moravians in 1740.

Information: www.moravianhistory.org