Guests of all ages delight in seeing the Candle Tea putz (pronounced “puts”). A putz – from the German word putzen, meaning “to decorate” – is any scene created around a Nativity scene and is a traditional Christmas decoration for both early and modern Moravians.
The Candle Tea putz is displayed in two parts. The first is a 30-foot-long replica in miniature of the town of Salem as it looked more than a century ago on a snowy Christmas Eve. The small buildings and houses are made of balsa wood and cardboard, constructed to scale, and painted to look like the real structures in Salem. The snow-covered scene is complete with small lights glowing through tiny windows and street lamps. The snow is created from marble dust sprinkled over the trees, houses, and vehicles. Throughout the town, small figures are busy taking laundry off the line, chopping firewood and running the water wheel at the mill. Small figures of deer and cows are seen in unusual places.
The second part of the Candle Tea putz is the Nativity scene. Guests view the Nativity, graced with large hand-carved figures made in Germany and donated to the Candle Tea in 1961, as the Christmas Story is read from scripture. Each scene in the story is lighted separately.
For more information, email us or call 336-749-9463.
We look forward to seeing you at Candle Tea!
