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Christmas Putz
An Old Custom in America
by Priscilla Haug |
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Early
1900s Putz sheep and Putz wooden bridge. Sheep is
composition and wool body, with stick feet; Putz bridge
railing is twig, with wood base-stamped Germany on
bottom.[Courtesy of Dresden Star Ornaments] |
Weeks before the Christmas holidays,
the children in 19th century Bethlehem, Nazareth, and other
Moravian communities along the Lehigh River in Pennsylvania,
made up little parties to go on expeditions in search of moss,
ferns, gravel, and bright-hued stones to be used in Putz
building. These excursions constituted one of the most enjoyable
features of an old custom. |
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A Putz was a Pennsylvania-Dutch
miniature landscape, with varied figures, structures and
animals. Some of these scenes were made on a grand scale; but
smaller ones, equally pretty, and not so difficult to manage,
were arranged at the foot of the Christmas tree. The tree was
placed on a table, or, better still, was set in a large dry
goods box with boards placed across the top of the box, as a
foundation for the Putz.
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A
turn-of-the-century rare Putz luffa tree; an ideal Putz
accessory for a wide variety of items, from farm
buildings and animals, to houses. Luffa (a natural
fibrous product made from a gourd) was used in the early
Putz scenes of the same era way before bottlebrush trees
became available.
[Courtesy of Dresden Star Ornaments] |
The Moravian Putz probably had the
same origin as the Christmas crib that was set up in Roman
Catholic churches at Christmastide. The latter is a more or less
elaborate embellishment representing the stable at Bethlehem,
with figures of the Virgin and Holy Child, St. Joseph, the three
kings of the Orient, an ox, a donkey, sheep, and shepherds. The
custom of erecting cribs in churches began during the thirteenth
century in the Franciscan order; even today Christmas cribs are
found in many Catholic houses.
The Putz is the same idea
secularized, and probably originated in Germany—the source of
many good old Christmas customs—at the time of the Reformation.
The Moravians brought the custom of Putz building from the
fatherland on their immigration to America, and continued the
tradition through passing generations. It is probable that on
Christmas Eve, 1741, when Count Zinzendorf, named the Moravian
settlement on the Lehigh, Bethlehem, a Putz adorned the little
log building in which he and his brethren were first assembled. |
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| Well bucket and ducks were made in
Germany in the early 1900s. Fantastic little well actually works
when you move the wooden handle! You can move the handle to
raise and lower a metal bucket attached by a chain (chain looks
like a newer replacement). The two Putz ducks are composition
with metal feet. [Courtesy of Dresden Star Ornaments] |
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The first step to create a Putz was
to go into the woods for the materials. Pieces of rock, large
and small, mosses, ferns, lichens, and vines were gathered. The
large rocks were used for mountains, interspersed with small
branches of cedar and pine for trees. A narrow piece of tinfoil,
bent into various shapes, was used for a waterfall, across which
a cardboard bridge was laid. Below the waterfall, a
looking-glass lake, or, better still, a tin pan, filled with
water, on which artificial ducks, geese, fish, and boats could
float was added. The edge of the glass or pan was concealed with
moss; and gravel was scattered at the bottom of the lake, as
well as on the winding walks around it. |
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Cardboard houses, twig fences,
miniature livestock such as sheep and horses were added to the
scenes. The decorations were generally prepared in a room that
was kept carefully locked and mysteriously darkened, which
enhanced the delight and surprise when the time arrived for the
display.
Eight-piece German rustic twig fence is used to set off
a small Victorian tree and/or Putz display. The fence hooks
together to form any configuration you choose, and has a little
opening gate. [Courtesy of
Dresden Star Ornaments] |
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Lighted Putz scene [Courtesy of Dresden Star Ornaments]
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As it was the custom in Bethlehem to
visit the Putzes in the evening, the greatest care was taken in
their illumination. Some of them were especially designed for
charming light effects. If the scene represented the stable in
ancient Bethlehem, the Putz builder often put behind it a
painted transparency depicting a town overarched by a starlit
sky. By the proper arrangement of lights behind this back piece,
the windows in the distant houses sent forth cheering rays, and
the stars glittered in the firmament. |
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Early
1900s Putz dogs and young village boy made in Germany.
The two Putz dogs are finely detailed with a composition
body and leather collar. Putz boy is composition. [Courtesy of Dresden Star Ornaments] |
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Early
1900s German Putz swing and rooster. Swing has a
clay-covered wood base and wood stump, artistically
finished with dyed wood fibers and grasses, and a dried
plant. Red cellophane covered wood swing hangs from
little ropes. The Putz rooster is composition, with
metal feet.
Courtesy of Dresden Star Ornaments |
The people of Bethlehem, since the
earliest times, used wax candles in their illuminations. They
were molded in the old Moravian drug store of Simon Rare & Co.,
which was established in the 18th century; and at every
Christmastide they were in great demand both in town and
country. The drug store also provided the candles that were
placed in the hands of the little children during the services
on Christmas Eve at the Bethlehem Moravian Church.
On Christmas Eve, the great "Putz"
viewing evening, the Moravian children formed little bands and
went from house to house to see these beautiful displays and
often to interchange presents. In the early nineteenth century
it was the custom of the farmer boys and their rosy-cheeked
sweethearts who lived in the vicinity of Bethlehem, to come to
town on this evening to join in the sightseeing. By the end of
the century, the custom of Putz building was taken up by
churches of every denomination in the country, and even the
farmers themselves followed the custom. |
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Early 1900s Putz chicken coop made
in Germany with composition chick, composition rooster with
metal feet, goose feather bushes, twig ladder and railings, wood
base and bench. [Courtesy of Dresden Star Ornaments]
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In the Moravian Church at Bethlehem
the Christmas embellishments were always on a grand scale, and
the services for the children on Christmas Eve were especially
attractive. At the afternoon feast and at the evening events,
all the infants and little children were presented with lighted
wax candles, emblematical of the newborn Christ, the Light of
the World. Beautiful paintings of the Nativity were
conspicuously displayed in the pulpit recess, surrounded by
masses of evergreens arranged in a variety of fantastic forms.
The singing of Christmas carols to the accompaniment of the
trombone choir was an impressive feature of these services. |
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Early
1900s German Putz hen house with baby turkeys. The
Putz baby turkeys are wonderfully detailed, and are
composition with metal feet. The Putz hen house has
a wood bark roof, three different entrances, wood
base, and a twig ladder with side fencing. [Courtesy of Dresden Star Ornaments] |
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| In the Moravian Seminary and College
for Women at Bethlehem (originally the Bethlehem Female
Seminary) the custom of building Christmas Putzes in each
classroom was repeated annually since the founding of the
institution in 1749. This old edifice served as a military
hospital during the Revolution, and it is probable that the
Moravian Sisters celebrated Christmas in the rooms occupied at
that time by the sick and wounded. During Christmas week in the
1800s, the seminary was open to visitors from Bethlehem and the
neighboring towns, who came to inspect the Putzes and to admire
the paintings which were also on exhibition. |
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Images Courtesy of
Dresden Star Ornaments:
What could be a more fun addition to
your Christmas decorating than some antique and vintage
accessories for under the tree! Dresden Star Ornaments has some great Putz items you can use to make your own
under-the-tree Christmas garden, in true Pennsylvania-Dutch
style. Choose from a wonderful assortment of Putz farm animals,
people, wishing wells, chicken coops, houses and more!
Dresden Star Ornaments
www.victorianornaments.com |
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