Today's photo features the December Candle Tea of the First Moravian Church of Greensboro. We love the muted colors and practicality of of the garments. According to their website, Moravians are the oldest continuously practicing Protestant denomination in the world today. The above church is located at 304 South Elam Avenue. They have a congregation of members from many religious background. While the congregation is small in size, their outreach supports many programs in the community (see HERE). Their special gift to the Greensboro community (open to everyone), the Candle Tea event has been a Greensboro tradition since 1962. It is a way not only for the Moravians to give back to the community, but for people to learn more about the religion, see the sanctuary, learn about the old traditions like making candles and displaying a Christmas Putz. The Putz is an elaborate rendition of the Biblical scene of Jesus' birth. We will feature it next Sunday, the last before Christmas.
The origin of the Moravian religion dates back to 1457 in Bohemia sixty years before Martin Luther began his reformation. It started about 100 miles east of Prague and by 1557 had grown to branches in Bohemia, Moravia, and Poland. The earlier name for the religion was Unitas Fratum (Unity of Brothers). Moravians arrived in North Carolina in 1753 with construction of Salem in 1766. One-hundred forty-two years later, in 1908, the First Moravian Church was established in Greensboro. The Candle Tea is one of those events that heralds the Christmas season in Greensboro. We go every year.
Happy Sunday!
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