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Bethlehem Star

The Bethlehem Star, prominent in the skyline over Bethlehem, is a nod to the Moravian Star as celebrated by the Moravian community that settled in this area. The Moravian star had humble beginnings in a boarding school in Niesky, Germany. At the time, a creative professor developed the star to teach his students geometry. The students took to the task, and before long, they began making and selling the stars as a hobby. Due to the apparent connection between the original star in Bethlehem at the birth of Christ, the Moravian Church quickly adopted the star as a significant symbol in their faith tradition. By no accident, then, the city of Bethlehem was christened on Christmas Eve in 1741.

The distinguishing characteristic of the Bethlehem star, as opposed to Moravian stars, is the elongated points at the top and the bottom. In the early 1900s, city council members developed the idea of placing a Bethlehem star on South Mountain. In 1939, the city installed the first star, made of wood with steel supports from Bethlehem Steel. Due to a push by the Chamber of Commerce, it was at this time that Bethlehem officially became known as the “Christmas City.” By 1967 the community needed a new star; it was installed and remains in place today. Initially, the star was lit only during Christmas, but by the ’90s, year-round lighting became the norm.

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