Creating a Christmas Village

Christmas Village - Day 68 - Daily Content Challenge

Today’s picture is one taken of the Christmas village set up in the lodge here at Banff Gate.

It brings back memories of Christmas decorations in my home growing up.

My Mom would set up a little Christmas village on the mantel above our fireplace. Always included in the scene was a skating rink. Mom would make a rink wrapped in tin foil and tiny characters would be skating on the rink. There were also miniature animals and some houses and a church in our village.

Creating a Christmas village was part of the late 18th Century Christmas traditions of the Moravian church. This Protestant denomination had early settlements in Salem, North Carolina and in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. These grew to include the Christmas tree, a nativity scene, working flour mills, running water with waterfalls and electric trains. They could fill an entire room. Families would organize ‘putz parties’ (putzen is a German verb meaning to clean or to decorate) and would compete for the best show.

After World War II, several companies started mass-producing cardboard or paper houses, churches and other buildings. These small buildings usually had holes in the back through which Christmas lights could be placed. In the 1970s, ceramic or porcelain Christmas villages were introduced.

I enjoy doing cross stitch projects and the one I brought with me on this holiday in the mountains is called The Village Tree Skirt. In this design there are seven houses and a church as well as a huge decorated Christmas Tree. I have just started to work on the stitching and hope to have at least one house finished by the time I have to pack up and head back home. This project will not be finished in time to go under my tree this Christmas. Maybe next year.