The Salvation Army In The Christmas City ...

“There is no reward equal to that of doing the most good to the most people in the most need.”

    ~Evangeline Booth

               ~ 1865-1950

    ~ British theologist and Fourth General of 

            The Salvation Army, 1934-1939,

              the first woman to hold the post.

 Evangeline Booth was the daughter of William and Catherine Booth, who founded The Salvation Army in 1865.

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination. 

It is well known for its Red Kettle Campaign at Christmastime.

The Salvation Army and its mission is prominently displayed to early Christmas shoppers in front of the Moravian Book Shop in historic downtown Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in late November.

Reflections from the street, the American Flag, and “Get Downtown Bethlehem Pennsylvania,” the logo of the Downtown Bethlehem Association, can be seen in the left window.

Bethlehem is known as The Christmas City. On Christmas Eve 1741, in a stable, while a small group of Moravians were singing a hymn with the stanza “Not Jerusalem, Lowly Bethlehem” Count Nicolaus Ludwig Von Zinzendorf christened this little town “Bethlehem.” Since that time Christmas in Bethlehem has been central to the city’s identity. From the first documented decorated Christmas tree in America to the efforts of the Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce to get Bethlehem nicknamed “Christmas City USA” in 1937, to the current time when both sides of the river boast Christmas markets filled with artisan craft, retail and food vendors, Bethlehem is rife with one Christmas celebration after another.

The Moravian Book Shop is America’s oldest book shop, established in 1745.

Christmas Huts In The City ...

“Silver bells, silver bells

It’s Christmastime in the city …”
               ~“Silver Bells”

     ~composed by Jay Livingston & Ray Evans

                             ~ 1950

Early Christmas shoppers hunt for treasures to place under the Christmas tree at Christmas Huts On Main in historic downtown Bethlehem, Pennsylvania the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

The charming area was transformed into an authentic German Weihnachtsmarkt, or open-air Christmas market. Vendors set up shop in  Christmas-themed wooden huts brimming with unique gift ideas along Main Street in what is known as The Christmas City.

These Christmas Huts are located in front of Central Moravian Church, founded in 1742. The buildings to the right are part of the South Campus of Moravian College, my alma mater, also founded in 1742.

Moravian Stars are hung at the top of the huts. The Moravian Star (German: Herrnhuter Stern) is an illuminated Advent, Christmas or Epiphany decoration popular in Germany and in places in America and Europe where there are Moravian congregations. The stars take their English name from the Moravian Church originating in Moravia. In Germany, they are known as Herrnhut stars, named after the Moravian Mother Community in Saxony, Germany, where they were first commercially produced.

On Christmas Eve 1741, in a stable, while a small group of Moravians were singing a hymn with the stanza “Not Jerusalem, Lowly Bethlehem” Count Nicolaus Ludwig Von Zinzendorf christened this little town “Bethlehem.” Since that time Christmas in Bethlehem has been central to the city’s identity. From the first documented decorated Christmas tree in America to the efforts of the Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce to get Bethlehem nicknamed “Christmas City USA” in 1937, to the current time when both sides of the river boast Christmas markets filled with artisan craft, retail and food vendors, Bethlehem is rife with one Christmas celebration after another.

Get With The Program ...

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”

     ~ Fred Rogers

      ~ 1928-2003

I captured this shot of the home of WLVT-TV PBS Channel 39, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania from the walkway on the Hoover-Mason Trestle in the early afternoon of a late September day, just after summer segued into autumn but summer was still in the air.

The studios are housed in the PPL Public Media Center.

WLVT first signed on the air September 7, 1965, before I was even born, as a member of National Educational Television (NET) and eventually joined the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) at its inception in 1970. It is commonly known as PBS39.

Oh, the childhood memories I have of watching WLVT’s’s offerings such as Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood – my favorite was always when the trolley whisked us from the neighborhood to “The Land of Make Believe!” To a lesser extent, I liked The Electric Company, Hodgepodge Lodge, The New Zoo Revue and ZOOM.

The Hoover-Mason Trestle at SteelStacks – part of Artsquest – in SouthSide Bethlehem was an elevated rail line built to transport raw materials to the blast furnace of the iconic Bethlehem Steel. It was named after the engineering firm that designed and built it. The trestle was in use from 1907-1995.

Bethlehem Steel was an American steel and shipbuilding company that began operations in 1904 and was America’s second-largest steel producer and largest shipbuilder. The company’s roots trace to 1857 with the establishment of the Bethlehem Iron Company. Bethlehem Steel ceased operations in 2003.

SteelStacks is a 10-acre campus with indoor and outdoor venues, hosting festivals, concerts and community events.

ArtsQuest is a nonprofit organization providing access to art, culture and educational programs.