Welcome to the First Moravian Candle Tea!

Our 2024 Candle Tea will be held Friday, December 6th (2:00-8:00pm) and Saturday, December 7th (10:00am-1:00pm). 

 

What Will You Find at the Candle Tea?

The Candle Tea has been First Moravian’s Christmas gift to the Greensboro community since 1962. 

Join us this December for live music in the Sanctuary, refreshments in the Tavern, Moravian craft demonstrations, the Putz, and an opportunity to purchase your favorite baked goods, Christmas crafts, and more.

 

 

 

Musical Performances

Throughout our Candle Tea event, area musical ensembles and soloists perform in our Sanctuary, interspersed with brief talks on Moravian history and culture. Some of the talented groups and individuals you will hear at this year's Candle Tea include the Grimsley High School Madrigals; the Guilford Courthouse Fife & Drum Corps; Greensboro Strings (Eve Hubbard, director); James Esterline (piano); a professional recorder ensemble; First Moravian Handbells (Khaleigha Holdip, director), Brass Band, and Chancel Choir (Dr. Jane McKinney, director); Hannah Osborne Albright (soprano); and Justin McKinney (tenor).

View the 2024 Candle Tea Sanctuary Schedule

 

Craft Demonstrations & Vendors

Each year, FMC produces hundreds of beeswax candles for our Christmas Eve Lovefeast services using antique tin moulds. See how beeswax candles are poured, cut, and polished in the Candle Hut. While visiting the Hut, enjoy wheel-throwing demonstrations by our resident potter, or learn about period musical instrument construction from our luthier.

In New Fellowship Hall (upstairs), see how beeswax candles are trimmed with signature red ribbon for our Lovefeasts, and marvel as our starmaker hand-folds miniature paper Moravian stars. Purchase stars, candles, or pottery, jewelry, artwork, and more from local vendors.

Visit the Craft Store (downstairs), for additional handcrafted items, ornaments, and decor by FMC church members.

 

The Putz

A Moravian tradition that dates back to 18th century Europe, the Christmas Putz (rhymes with "foots") is a three-dimensional retelling of the story of Christ's birth. Putz, which comes from the German word putzen, means "to clean" or "to polish", but can also mean "to trim or decorate".

At the time, German Moravian craftsmen began to carve figures of the Holy family from local native woods to aid in telling of this story. The Moravians brought the tradition of making putzes at Christmas from Saxony to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the 1700s, a fact that is well-documented. When the first Moravian settlers came to North Carolina, they brought their putz figures with them. Early Moravians in American would prepare their displays and then go "putzing" to view these scenes in one another’s homes.

The manger is always the center of any putz. Unlike a creche which depicts only a Nativity scene, a putz can be very elaborate and also might include some of the events prior to and following the birth of Jesus Christ -- from Isaiah’s prophecy and Mary’s Annunciation, to the visit of the wise men and the flight into Egypt.

The figures in our putz are displayed amidst moss, driftwood, and rocks and our Christmas tree is decorated with many items native to our state. It includes scenes spanning from ancient Bethlehem to the 18th century settlement of Salem, NC. Our Putz was first created in 1962 by Elizabeth (Libby) Holder. It is a work in progrees, evolving and changing from year to year, and takes about a month to create.

 

The Tavern

In the Tavern (Old Fellowship Hall), sit and relax by the fire as you take a moment to savor the season. Enjoy being served complimentary sugarcake, coffee, and lemonade as you listen to Christmas carols on the piano or watch as bakers demonstrate Moravian ginger cookie rolling.

 

 

 

 

Chicken Pies, Baked Goods, and More!

In New Fellowship Hall (upstairs), you'll find our Baked Goods table, featuring homemade gingerbread, apple dumplings, and a variety of delicious treats prepared by First Moravian church members.

At Gifts from the Earth, you'll find herbs from the FMC Servants' Garden, as well as local honey produced and bottled by our resident beekeeper right here in the Sunset Hills neighborhood!

In our Cookie Sales Room (downstairs), find all your Moravian favorites: sugarcake, Lovefeast buns, stollen, cheese straws, and Mrs. Hanes' Moravian Cookies in six delightful flavors.

Homemade chicken pies (large and small) are always a sell-out item at the Candle Tea and are available first-come, first-served. To join the "pie line" straightaway, please enter from the parking lot double doors.

 

Candle Tea Store Online

Can't make it to this year's Candle Tea? During the month of November, many items are available for pre-order in our online store.

Drive-thru pick-up will be available on Saturday, December 7th (2:00-3:00pm) in our parking lot, following the Candle Tea event.

Pre-orders may also be picked up from our church office the week of December 9th-13th (9:30am-12:30pm). They will not be available for pick-up before the Candle Tea.