Moravian Stars.
Ok, granted: if you don't live in Winston-Salem, NC, or Bethlehem, PA, or the Moravia area of today's Czech Republic, you probably just think these are really cool stars. Nope.
The star originated in Germany, and is actually an art from. These stars were originally made of paper and tradition holds that they were the basis of a geometry lesson in 1850. The stars can have any number of points, as long as they are based on polyhedrons. Today's Moravian Stars are often made of plastic (to survive the harsh winter weather) and lit, so that you can see them at night.
Quite obviously, these stars are a representation of the Star of Bethlehem and are known as the Advent Star, because Moravians begin displaying them on the first Sunday of Advent. The star is an outward symbol of the period of waiting and preparation for the celebration of Christmas.
And here's a bit of local trivia: Winston-Salem has named the Moravian Star as our official holiday decoration (which is why two hang from every light pole in the downtown this time of year) and the Moravian Star atop Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is 31 feet tall, one of the largest in the world. (I've tried to find a picture, but can't. Anyone got one?)
For me, the star is also a symbol of home, especially because I've lived in a very Moravian community for more than 20 years now. I'm always shocked to see Moravian stars in unexpected places: Tampa, FL, for example. The star reminds me also of the peace and joy that I feel at the WFU lovefeast every year (and others) as well as the blessed waiting that is Advent.
(Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moravian_star, http://www.moravianbookshop.com/article_page.asp?Event_ID=153)
The star originated in Germany, and is actually an art from. These stars were originally made of paper and tradition holds that they were the basis of a geometry lesson in 1850. The stars can have any number of points, as long as they are based on polyhedrons. Today's Moravian Stars are often made of plastic (to survive the harsh winter weather) and lit, so that you can see them at night.
Quite obviously, these stars are a representation of the Star of Bethlehem and are known as the Advent Star, because Moravians begin displaying them on the first Sunday of Advent. The star is an outward symbol of the period of waiting and preparation for the celebration of Christmas.
And here's a bit of local trivia: Winston-Salem has named the Moravian Star as our official holiday decoration (which is why two hang from every light pole in the downtown this time of year) and the Moravian Star atop Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is 31 feet tall, one of the largest in the world. (I've tried to find a picture, but can't. Anyone got one?)
For me, the star is also a symbol of home, especially because I've lived in a very Moravian community for more than 20 years now. I'm always shocked to see Moravian stars in unexpected places: Tampa, FL, for example. The star reminds me also of the peace and joy that I feel at the WFU lovefeast every year (and others) as well as the blessed waiting that is Advent.
(Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moravian_star, http://www.moravianbookshop.com/article_page.asp?Event_ID=153)
1 comment:
I have two! One like yours (thanks Jess!!!) and one as a tree topper, which totally and completely rocks. It has stars cut out of the spikes for the light to pass through, since it's metal and not very transluscent :-)
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