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Traditional Moravian Star, Sugar Cake and beeswax candle and the very pretty Christmas City lights.

Two hundred sixty-six years ago this Christmas Eve, the city where I reside was named by Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, a Moravian leader, in the first house erected in this area. I can almost imagine the Count, said to have been watching the stable animals and  listening to hymns being sung, suddenly standing tall and proclaiming the community,  "Bethlehem", named after the birthplace of Jesus Christ.  It may have been less dramatic than  that, but with our city having officially been dubbed "Christmas City, USA" in 1937, it's hard  not to think of a more exciting beginning. For more than 100 years after that, Bethlehem,  Pennsylvania would remain an exclusively Moravian community. It's no surprise then, that the  Moravian influence here is still very strong. This influence makes Christmas here a bit warmer  and more traditional than the glitz and glamour in other cities, and I like that just fine.

Trees are lighted all the way down the streets of Downtown and Historic Bethlehem and Christmas music floats through the air. Miniature Christmas trees are hung on traffic poles and lit at every major intersection throughout the city and there are huge advent candles set at each bridge that crosses from North to South within our boundaries.

Most luminescent of all is the Star of Bethlehem, which sits atop South Mountain and shines all year long. The wooden star was erected in 1937, and after several changes  and a complete remake of steel from Bethlehem Steel, the star now stands at an impressive 81 feet by 53 feet on a frame that is 91 feet tall! Once lit only for Christmas and  Easter (lit to resemble a cross), the star is now shining all year long and can be seen for up to  20 miles.

Living in a Christmas City is extra fun this time of year. Christkindlmarkt, horse-drawn carriage  rides, historic tours, live Christmas pageant and Luminaria Night are just a few of the many wonderful things going on in Bethlehem during the Christmas season.

I would have to say that even a simple walk through Downtown Bethlehem during the month of December is as good as anything else happening there. With the lighted trees and music from hidden speakers, the air takes on a truly magical feel. The Moravian Book Shop, known as the world's oldest bookseller,  and Moravian Cook Shop (home of my favorite veggie melt)  are filled to the brim with gifts, decorations and books on every subject. You can find just  about anything Moravian there, including delicious smelling beeswax candles, very popular here in town. Bethlehem Brew Works is just the spot to stop when you need to refuel for your walk and The Foo Foo Shoppe has everything you need for a relaxing bath after you return home from a long day of shopping.

These are our other favorite spots to visit when we take our frequent walks to Downtown Bethlehem:

The Heavenly Hedgehog Ice Cream Company - The kids love this spot and I must say they make some of the best ice cream ever.

Toy Magic - Hey, there's the word "toy" in the title, need I say more?

Donegal Square - Even the non-Celts in our area turn into Irishmen once they set foot here.

The Sun Inn - With names on their guest list like George and Martha Washington, Samuel Adams and John Hancock, this is truly a step into the past and not something to be missed should you ever visit Bethlehem.

This is a recipe well-loved by Moravians everywhere and devoured in record time by my own kids:

Moravian Sugar Cake

1 package active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup plain mashed potatoes
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
*6 cups flour
Brown sugar
Cinnamon
Butter
       
Dissolve yeast in warm water and add a teaspoon of sugar. Once the yeast has "proved"  itself (gotten bubbly), mix potatoes, sugar, butter, and salt in a large bowl.
Add yeast mixture and stir well. Stir in eggs and enough flour to make a soft dough-
*this can be as little as 5 cups or as much as 6 1/2 depending on the humidity the day you  make the cakes.
Cover the dough and let rise until doubled, about 2 hours.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic.  Divide dough in four equal pieces and roll or stretch out to fit into 9x9 greased pans.
Cover and let rise again.
When doubled, make indentations in the top of each cake about 1 inch apart with your  fingers.
Sprinkle each cake with brown sugar, about a 1/4 cup per cake, sprinkle with cinnamon,  about 1/2 teaspoon per cake, and set small cubes of butter into the holes in each cake.
Bake in a 375-degree F oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 4 - 9x9 cakes