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A tiny baby Jesus, watched over by Mary and Joseph, would be easily identifiable to members of St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hilltown, Pa., as a nativity scene celebrating Christmas.
But the word “putz” was probably new to congregants—as it would be to most ELCA members—until last year. That’s when Raymond Miller, pastor of St. Peter, and member Lori Groves presented the traditional Moravian depiction of the story surrounding Jesus’ birth.
Now, after last year’s successful season, the putz is returning to St. Peter. Church and community members will have a chance to view the ornate, seven-scene village that was brought to Bethlehem and other Pennsylvania cities more than 200 years ago.
Miller’s plan to adopt the putz tradition came after he entered semiretirement a few years ago, when he was working for the organization Historic Bethlehem.
“I was a tour guide at the Moravian Museum, and during the holiday season there would be a whole series of Christmas putzes in one of the buildings, and Central Moravian Church, which was on the campus, also had a massive Christmas putz,” Miller said. “It was the first time I was introduced to that, and I thought it might be something we could do to try to engage the community.”
“Putz,” which comes from the German putzen, can mean “to decorate” or “to adorn.” Pennsylvania Dutch homes often had Christmas scenes that became known as putzes.
Miller had the idea, and Groves, who was excited to explore her German heritage, put the plan into action.
“I looked up a lot of different ones and thought they were so cool,” Groves said. “I purchased and assembled everything, finding them from many different sites—here and there and everywhere.”
The seven stages of a putz begin with the annunciation of Mary, followed by the journey to Bethlehem and the nativity. Next come the angel’s visit to the shepherds, their visit to see the baby, and the appearance of the magi. The narrative ends with Joseph, Mary and Jesus leaving for Egypt to escape King Herod’s decree.
One of Groves’ favorite elements is the Moravian star, which symbolizes Jesus as the light of the world and hangs over the entire putz, providing a backdrop that gives each scene a cohesive feel.
Groves and Miller plan to keep the putz the same this year, though it will be moving to another location. The hope is to expand awareness and attract even more of the community to see it. They will offer refreshments, including Moravian cookies, as they did last year.
“I think we felt good about the fact that people brought children,” Miller said. “The Christmas story is something that we have uniquely as Christians, and it’s good as a church that we offer it to the community.”
