Christmas on the Farm celebrates Pennsylvania German holiday traditions

The Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Middle celebrated Pennsylvania German Christmas traditions throughout its annual Christmas on the Farm on Dec. 3.

“Our hope for the occasion is that members of the general public and the regional neighborhood can collect collectively on the Heritage Middle to discover the vacation traditions of the Pennsylvania Dutch and the broader regional expertise,” stated Patrick J. Donmoyer, director of the middle at Kutztown College.

The rain didn’t hinder the occasion from going down, with all performances, demonstrations, and actions held indoors and in dry, heated tents. An estimated 300 folks attended.

“Turnout for the occasion, properly, it’s slightly slower than in earlier years as a consequence of persistent rain all through the day,” Donmoyer stated. “I used to be pleasantly stunned that as many individuals turned out for the occasion regardless of the climate.”

The free, enjoyable and academic household occasion featured folklife demonstrations, performances by native people musicians, children actions, animals, native people artists and particular appearances from the legendary Pennsylvania Dutch vacation customer — the Belsnickel.

“For individuals who are accustomed to the area’s tradition, they are going to discover issues which are acquainted and pleasant, resonating with the cultural expertise of the vacations in Berks County and the broader Pennsylvania Dutch area,” Donmoyer stated. “For these members of the neighborhood who are usually not Pennsylvania Dutch of their background however are desirous to expertise the traditions and customs of the area, we offer many alternatives to have interaction with vital bearers of custom in our neighborhood.”

“The whole lot from the performances and demonstrations, the hands-on actions and ornamental traditions, present alternatives for folks to have interaction with native individuals who proceed to hold the torch and preserve our traditions alive,” he continued.

“You may go to a cook dinner or baker and speak with them about what they’re making and discover out about its significance for the vacation season. You may hear people musicians enjoying conventional favorites and holding the New 12 months’s want custom alive. You may go to the crafts folks and artisans within the log cabins from the Studying-Berks chapter of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsman who display conventional crafts and artwork types distinctive to the area.

“We’re delighted that our occasion can even happen at a historic nineteenth century farmstead that gives a standard context for the vacation celebration.”

Donmoyer’s favourite a part of the day is witnessing the participating exchanges between bearers of custom in the neighborhood and members of the general public, the place cooks, musicians, farmers, craftspeople and audio system of Pennsylvania Dutch assist to stimulate curiosity in distinctive native traditions by interfacing with guests, locals, Kutztown College neighborhood members and households.

“That is the place the guts and soul of the occasion lies — in making the traditions of our area accessible to everybody,” Donmoyer stated.

Within the farmhouse, guests skilled conventional decorations, conventional music on the harp and historic regional foodways within the fireplace cooking demonstration.

Becky Manley led historic and conventional fireplace cooking demonstrations within the farmhouse whereas Terry Berger baked ox-tongue cookies within the woodstove in the summertime kitchen.

“Now we have distributors specializing in vacation items and decorations distinctive to the area, in addition to some youngsters’s actions making cornhusk angels and Christmas ornaments,” he stated.

Berks musician Keith Brintzenhoff carried out music within the schoolhouse, Mike and Linda Hertzog carried out conventional favorites, and the Pennsylvania German music performances concluded with Dave Kline and the Mountain Folks Band. Sarajane Williams of Musiatry performed the harp all through the day within the Sharadin Farmhouse.

“Within the schoolhouse, we featured stay conventional music by native people musicians together with a efficiency of the New 12 months’s want, which is a particular Pennsylvania Dutch language blessing provided every year to have a good time new beginnings,” Donmoyer stated.

Shows of labor created by native artisans and craftspeople, in addition to a youngsters’s craft tent, engaged attendees with the area’s vacation traditions. The Studying-Berks Chapter of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen showcased the work of many conventional craftspeople, together with vacation specialties.

“The craftspeople who display within the log cabins are all skilled artisans, persevering with arts and handwork vital to the native tradition,” Donmoyer stated.

The legend of the Belsnickel

In fact, visits from the Belsnickel are notably standard on the occasion.

“He’s a legendary Christmas customer distinctive to the Pennsylvania Dutch, who brings sweet to good youngsters and strategies for conduct modification to the unhealthy youngsters,” Donmoyer stated. “He carries switches, however not often makes use of them, aside from unruly adults who be a part of within the efficiency facet of the stay portrayal of the Belsnickel.”

Donmoyer has portrayed the Belsnickel for greater than 10 years.

“It has been enjoyable researching the custom of portraying this legendary Christmas customer who’s each fearsome and humorous,” he stated.

The Belsnickel is a convention dropped at Pennsylvania by German-speaking immigrants within the 18th century, primarily these coming from the areas surrounding the Rhine River, together with components the German Palatinate; Alsace, France; and the southwestern Alps of Switzerland, Donmoyer stated.

In Europe, the Belsnickel historically visited households between Dec. 6 (St. Nicholas Day) and New 12 months’s Day and was usually accompanied by portrayals of the Christ baby and his donkey, all portrayed by folks in costume, he stated.

“The Christ baby blessed the family, and the Belsnickel checked to see if the youngsters have been worthy of items from the Christ baby.”

This custom died out in Europe by the early twentieth century.

“In Pennsylvania, the Belsnickel got here earlier than Christmas and got here solo, normally giving items of nuts, fruit or sweet, whereas scaring unruly youngsters whose mother and father indicated they have been in want of conduct modification,” he stated.

This custom has continued in Pennsylvania to the current day.

Donmoyer stated Belsnickel means “Nicholas in Furs” in Pennsylvania Dutch however may be interpreted to imply “Thrashing Nicholas” — a reference to the phrase “belsen” — to tan hides or thrash. The Belsnickel custom developed within the Rhine River Valley and has its roots in each Christian and historic customs.

“In a single sense, Belsnickel is a wild portrayal of St. Nicholas, however contrasts significantly from the precise story of St. Nicholas, who was Bishop of Myra, Turkey,” he stated.

In historic Europe, the “Wild Man” was a preferred portrayal related to the competition of lights, as a personification of winter, he continued.

“The Wild Man historically wore skins and antlers and was portrayed in each medieval and Renaissance artwork. In some traditions, hunters would pursue the Wild Man as a part of an annual pageant that was related to fertility of the pure world,” Donmoyer stated. “German folklorists the Brothers Grimm recount that processions of historic fur-clad guests at midwinter have been ultimately blended with portrayals of Roman Catholic saints, who served to supply each blessings of the land and items to youngsters.”

“That is doubtless how the legend of St. Nicholas as protector of youngsters and bringer of items grew to become entwined with the archetype of the Wild Man,” he speculated.

“There are various completely different Christmas guests all through Europe, together with a broad vary of characters that mix each personifications of each the sunshine and the darkish parts of the Christmas season, and Belsnickel is amongst them, as a forerunner to the modern Santa Claus,” Donmoyer continued. “Thomas Nast, whose illustrations helped to popularize St. Nicholas for People, was really from the German Palatinate, and was properly conscious of the Belsnickel custom.”

Donmoyer’s portrayal combines elements of the Belsnickel custom handed alongside to him by members of the Pennsylvania Dutch neighborhood in Berks, Schuylkill, Lebanon, Lancaster, and Lehigh counties, in addition to some interpretive elements from previous European legend akin to stag horns and birch switches.

He defined that the costume historically combines furs, a masks or disguise, switches and a bag containing treats.

“The components I take pleasure in probably the most are when households interact with the Belsnickel and each mother and father and kids play together with the custom,” Donmoyer stated. “It may be slightly intimidating to some children who’re new to the custom, however mother and father play an essential function in serving to everybody to see the humor and pleasure in a personality that represents each the wildness and generosity of the winter season, historically thought to be the darkest time of the 12 months and a time for taking inventory of 1’s deeds and actions.”

For extra details about the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Middle at Kutztown College, comply with the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Middle Fb web page, electronic mail heritage@kutztown.edu or name 610-683-1589.