Days of the Belsnickel:
Pennsylvania German Christmas at Landis Valley Museum

The tavern keeper welcomes visitors with hot mulled cider and sweets.

Most of us have visited Lancaster County at one time or another. We’ve seen the picture-perfect Amish farms; we’ve taken a ride in one of the local horse-drawn buggies, and we’ve sampled Mennonite cooking at the Bird in Hand farmer’s market. How many of us, though, have experienced Pennsylvania German Christmas traditions?
You can warm your spirit in the traditional Pennsylvania German way at Landis Valley Museum’s Country Christmas Village this December. It’s been 18 years now that the staff at this living museum has interpreted Christmas in the manner of the Pennsylvania Germans through decorations, holiday traditions, and – of course – food.
Landis Valley Museum is an arrangement of period buildings some of which were originally on the site; some are period buildings that have been moved here, and some are reproductions. It is a living village intended to demonstrate life as the Pennsylvania Dutch knew it in the nineteenth century. For the Country Christmas Village celebration, most of the buildings in the center village are open and each is bedecked with holiday wreaths. Many of the windows have candles. The air is frosty and right away the visitor achieves a sense of nostalgia for a nineteenth-century Christmas.
Everywhere there is activity. Costumed interpreters stroll around the green, horse-drawn wagons ferry passengers from one end of the village to the other, and craftsmen pursue their trades in barns and outbuildings throughout the museum. Children are particularly well catered to. They can try their hands at scherenschnitte, or traditional paper cutting. Some make stars or snowflakes and decorate them with paint, glitter, and glues. Others make Christmas cards, but every child gets to leave the site with something as a remembrance. They can, and do, giggle with excitement when discovering by the Belsnickel, who is the most important figure – in a child’s eyes at least – in a Pennsylvania Dutch Christmas.

Meet the Belsnickel
Belsnickel isn’t really a Pennsylvania German Santa Claus. He’s been around since the eighteenth century and he’d be quick to tell you that Santa is a post-Civil War phenomenon. If you attempt to translate his name, you get “Nicholas in Furs.”
St. Nicholas has been around since the sixth century, but Belsnickel is a morphed Pennsylvania German character who dresses in furs, paints his face or wears a mask, and attaches bells to his costume. In one hand he carries a sack or burlap bag filled with goodies such as cookies, candies, nuts, and the like for good children. The other hand grasps a switch or whip, and we all know who that’s for. This character is central to the concept of the Country Christmas Village.
He knows who’s been good and who’s been bad. He’s a mischievous guy with a playful grin and delightful stage presence.
“Aren’t you the one who put old man Stolfus’ wagon up on top of the barn?” he says to me.
He then looked sternly at my companion. “Aren’t you are the one whose mom caught you sneaking cider from the root cellar?” he asked.
We both denied the charges in hopes of getting treats instead of a whipping. He seemed to forget about us as he turned to a little boy nearby and accused him of putting Susie’s pigtail in the inkwell. More denials immediately ensued and we all laughed at the spirit of the stage play.

The tavern features an upside-down evergreen tree decorated
with cookies, popcorn, pretzels, and paper ornaments.

The 1800 Stone Tavern
It was just cold enough on the day of our visit to make the warmth of the old stone tavern hearth very welcome. We wiped the snow from our feet and entered the whitewashed interior with its hand-hewn beams above us. The tavern tells the story of Pennsylvania German food from this period.
Most of the time the locals ate something from the pig such as ham or sausage or bacon. During Christmas, however, you’ll also find fowl like a goose or turkey alongside the stuffed pig’s stomach, sauerkraut, potatoes, onions, and all the rest. The table in front of the immense stone hearth is absolutely laden with food savory enough to satisfy even the most demanding taste buds. In addition to the meats and vegetables, there were sugar cookies, tarts, spice cookies, lemon sponge cakes, and sticky buns. We were invited to sample the sweets along with a mug of hot mulled cider.
The room was full of people in various stages of merriment. Some sat on the wooden seats beneath the windows, while others marveled at the evergreen tree hanging upside down from the ceiling. The boughs were decorated with traditional decorations along with schnitz or dried apples, sugared nuts, pretzels, and cookies. The tavern keeper explained that the tree was hung this way to keep vermin away from the sweets and edibles.

Landis Brothers House
Our next stop was the Landis Brothers House at the upper end of the green. The large 1880s Victorian dwelling is interpreted to represent the prosperous late Victorian Period. In the parlor we marveled at the feather tree decorated with tiny ornaments, candles, scrap decorated decorations, and hand made stars. Around the tree was a small manger scene complete with toy cars and animals.
A side table near the window was set with tea things and bowls of sugarcoated sweets. Garlands were hung around the doors and windows. The bold rose and green striped wallpaper, with its elaborate swag border, seemed to enhance the festive mood. The gleaming walnut parlor furniture helped to take us back to the Christmases of long ago.

The Country Store
Directly across the street is the country store, which is interpreted as a typical store in a Pennsylvanian Dutch village of about 1900. This building seemed popular with the younger crowd who were eager to see the display of period toys under another small evergreen tree.
The kids can be busy looking at all the toys while mom picks up sugar and butter for her holiday baking. The storekeeper tells me that there are stories of the Pennsylvania Dutch making tins and tins of cookies to be consumed between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
“This is the beginning of winter,” she explains. “It’s the start of months of cold and drear, but this time is one big party – a time of festivity as well as religious significance.”
She shows me a German miniature diorama, like our modern day crèche or manger scene. This type of display originated with the Moravians, but over the years the original tradition has evolved to include barnyards, trains, and the like. The miniature dioramas here at Landis Valley Museum depicts the entire Mill Grove village, which is the area around the common. It’s complete with skating pond, houses, shops, and church.

Immersion in Christmas Past
Out final stop was the hotel, which dates to 1855-1856. On our way to it we paused to watch all manner of activities: a tinsmith, a blacksmith, a well-dressed lady named Marian making bobbin lace, and – of course – the Belsnickel.
The hotel is one of the original buildings on the site and the interior recreates the 1890s. Here visitors can enjoy a Pennsylvania Dutch feast in a festive atmosphere of holiday greens, candles, and décor. On the day we visited, our group was served pork and chicken, whipped potatoes, string beans, applesauce, and chow-chow among other things. Dinner is not included in admission.
Landis Valley Museum attempts to immerse visitors in a bygone Christmas. The staff and interpreters successfully bring back nostalgia for a slower time compared to the busy shopping malls of today. It’s a far cry from the traffic jams, jangled nerves, and commercial stores we experience today. Get ready for a memorable experience.

Country Christmas Village:
December 1-3, 8-10, 26-28, 10am-4pm, Sundays, 12 noon - 4pm. Museum is open until 5pm every day. The Landis Valley Museum is located at 2451 Kissel Hill Road, Lancaster, PA 17601, (717) 569-0401, www.landisvalleymuseum.org.
Photos courtesy Landis Valley Museum.