Mono Monday: Week 465 ...

... Christmas where you live.

Well ... since I live in "The Christmas City" (Bethlehem, PA!) I simply had to post this scene from downtown Bethlehem.

But that wasn't my first idea.  That you can find in the Extras.  Let me explain ...

There is a Christmas tradition in our area to put up Christmas Putz displays and I had read that the only one open during the week was at the Gray Cottage in Nazareth.  We had gone up there last December so if you want to read about what a Christmas or Moravian Putz is the explanation is in that link.  

We had an appointment this afternoon that took me toward Nazareth.  We took separate cars so that I could go up to Nazareth and R could return home to work.  When I first arrived at Gray Cottage the door was locked and I thought I was out of luck.  But I went into the Nazareth Historical Society museum on the same property and a lovely lady (I failed to get her name!) walked me over to Gray Cottage and unlocked the door for me.  Gray Cottage is the oldest Moravian building still standing in the Americas. The log house was built in October 1740 by the Moravians to shelter themselves during the winter.  I took several pictures and then returned home.

After supper we went to downtown Bethlehem as R still hadn't taken any pictures.  We started near the library as that's where the Christmas tree and nativity scene are always set up.  That's where the above scene was shot.  The young girl was standing under the huge Christmas tree whilst her mom took some pictures.  To me that's what living in Bethlehem is all about during the Christmas season ... sharing in the joy of others.  

Thanks to Carolina for hosting Mono Monday all this month. 

BTW: Bethlehem was christened on Christmas Eve, 1741, in a stable while a small group of Moravians were singing a hymn with the stanza “Not Jerusalem, Lowly Bethlehem.” Bethlehem is truly Christmas City, USA.