Origins
The tradition of decorative Christmas villages is rooted in the holiday traditions of the Pennsylvania Dutch. In early-colonial American Moravian homes, the construction of a nativity scene, or putz, at the base of a Christmas tree was a very common holiday activity. The term was derived from the German verb putzen, which means "to clean" or "to decorate." These nativity scenes soon became very elaborate, and often included sawdust or fine dirt spread to represent roads leading to the manger; stones and fresh moss to represent grottos or caves; and sticks and branches to represent miniature trees. These details were in addition to the carved wooden figures that represented the Holy Family, animals, shepherds, and other traditional nativity figures.
Although initially placed beneath the Christmas tree, by the early 19th century a family's "putz" might have also been found on the fireplace mantel, side tables, and other prominent places within the home. These expanded scenes might include other stories from the Bible. The story of Noah's Ark, an especially popular subject for a putz, could result in the arranging of several hundred carved animals wending their way towards the ark.
By the mid-19th century, more secular figures and scene elements were being added to the putz. In many homes, the putz took more time and energy than the decoration of the family Christmas tree. Separate areas were developed with different themes; spreading outward from the Nativity scene were other farms or village scenes, which had a way of growing larger and more elaborate every year. Eventually, toy trains were added to these miniature worlds.
Read more about this topic: Christmas Village
Famous quotes containing the word origins:
“Grown onto every inch of plate, except
Where the hinges let it move, were living things,
Barnacles, mussels, water weeds—and one
Blue bit of polished glass, glued there by time:
The origins of art.”
—Howard Moss (b. 1922)
“The origins of clothing are not practical. They are mystical and erotic. The primitive man in the wolf-pelt was not keeping dry; he was saying: “Look what I killed. Aren’t I the best?””
—Katharine Hamnett (b. 1948)
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—W. T. Lhamon, U.S. educator, critic. “Material Differences,” Deliberate Speed: The Origins of a Cultural Style in the American 1950s, Smithsonian (1990)