Lovefeast:

A Lovefeast is a service dedicated to agape, or Christian love, considered the greatest of virtues.  A Lovefeast seeks to remove social barriers and strenghthen the spirit of unity and goodwill among all people.  The first Lovefeast was served in Germany on August 13, 1727, following the Renewal of the Moravian Church.  The Lovefeast is not the sacrament of Communion.  It is styled after the common meal partaken in love and fellowship by the early Church (described in the Book of Acts) prior to their celebration of the Lord's Supper (Communion).

The traditional American Lovefeast consists of a sweetened bun and coffee, but the food and drink may vary considerably.  It is served to the participants in the pews by Dieners (German for servers).  After all have been served, a table grace is said, and then all partake together.  During the meal, music may be offered by the choir, the organist or others, or participants may be asked to pray in love for one another, or people may speak quietly with their neighbors about their spiritual journey.  Other than the common meal, the Lovefeast is a service largely of music, chiefly the singing of hymns of love and fellowship.  It is a Singstunde which incorporates a simple meal.

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service:

This beautiful service, now adopted in one form or another by many Christian denominations, originated in a Moravian children's service.  During this service of song and scripture readings, handmade beeswax candles decorated with a red paper frill are distributed to each worshiper.  The beeswax candles have been variously described as symbolizing the purity of Christ, the sacrifice of Christ as the light of the world.  The candles are lit while the worship space is darkened except for a large illuminated Moravian Advent Star.  Led by a child, we sing the antiphonal hymn, "Morning Star, O Cheering Sight".  In some congregations, after the last hymn, the worshipers carry their lighted candles out into the dark world.

The tradition of having dozens or hundreds of congregants, young and old, often in a old building, holding lit candles while managing a hymnbook entails another tradition in some localities - the annual battle with the community fire marshal.  Nevertheless, this cherished traditional service will likely continue for another several hundred years.
 

Moravian Traditions:

Moravian putz:

A "putz" is a scene using figures (usually smaller than life) and landscaping props to depict the story of Jesus' birth.  The word putz comes from the German word putzen which means to decorate or clean.  A putz is usually more than a simple manger scene; it can fill a whole room, though most are more modest.  Isaiah's prophesy; the annunciation to Mary; Joseph's dream; Mary's visit to her cousin Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist; the journey to Bethlehem; the family in the stable, with the baby Jesus in the feedbox; the annunciation to the shepherds; the visit of the magi from the east; and the flight into Egypt are all scenes which may be included in a putz.  One of the traditional ways the putz is displayed is to illuminate each scene separately as the verses of scripture to which the scene corresponds are read aloud.

Moravian Star:

The 26-pointed Moravian Advent Star, lit from within by an electric bulb, is beloved by Moravians all over the world.  The Star stands as both a symbol of awaiting the promised coming of Christ during the Advent season, and of Christ himself, the light of the world and dispeller of darkness, at Christmastime.

Thought to have originated as an exercise in geometry in the German Moravian boarding schools, the stars were first offered for sale at Peter Verbeek's bookstore in Herrnhut, Germany around 1880.  These original stars were paper, and were assembled and disassembled each year in a sometimes vexing Moravian Christmas tradition.  Now there are Moravian Stars available in many different materials and sizes, made both in Herrnhut and in Winston Salem, North Carolina.




Illumination:

The Illumination is another Moravian Christmas decorating custom.  A lighted candle (or a modern day facsimile thereof) is placed in each window of the Moravian home after dark.  Historical sources indicate that Moravian settlements on Christmas Eve looked to neighboring villages in Germany almost as if they were ablaze.


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