Bethlehem, Pennsylvania has been named as one of the top European-style Christmas Markets in the world. Each and every year thousands of visitors arrive to shop at the markets and to partake in all of the holiday festivities that this historic small town has to offer. The weekend after Thanksgiving I took a Greyhound Bus for the nine hour journey to Bethlehem so that I may enjoy these popular markets myself.
Upon arrival in Bethlehem, I headed to “U & Tea” (U & Tea) for lunch. The spacious Chinese restaurant offers several vegan-friendly choices on its expansive and creative menu. I selected the veggie hot pot with cabbage, cauliflower, napa, fried tofu, potato, lotus root, mushrroms, seaweed, fungus, rice cakes, red beans, and a side of white rice. My beverage was a date bubble tea. The entire meal was extremely tasty.
Victorian carolers singing merrily to passersby, musicians entertaining the crowds with holiday tunes, and shops decked out in festive decorations; all greeted me as I strolled about Main Street. Inside of the Moravian Bookstore, I perused aisles of reading materials, fancy Christmas ornaments, and crafts. I entered the Foo Foo shop and found some holiday scented soaps depicting scenes of snowmen, reindeer, and Christmas gifts. My purchase was a vegan santa soap with a winter flowery scent. A couple of Moravian star ornaments concluded my shopping spree for the day.
Next on my agenda was a visit to the famous Hotel Bethlehem. The property has historic significance as the site of the first home in Bethlehem, by missioning Moravians in the 18th century. These days, many a tourist pays a visit to the hotel to enjoy the many spectacular Christmas tree displays.
The seasonal Christmas Village offers everything from knit goods to pottery to food items. This market with its European-style wooden huts, takes place right off of Main Street.
One of the most important parts of a Moravian Christmas is the Christmas Putz. A Putz is a miniature-scale village scene of the nativity. Every year, the Moravian church community gathers moss and creates many biblical scenes surrounding the birth of Christ. The Central Moravian Church tells the nativity story to visitors in their auditorium, as each section of the nativity scene is lit up one by one: from Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem to the shepherds guarding their flock to the three wise men arriving to the birth of baby Jesus.
The lighting of Bethlehem’s Christmas tree was one of the main festivities that took place during the early evening hours. Local choirs sang Christmas carols as the crowds joined along.
After the tree lighting ceremony had completed, guests headed across the street and up the hill to the Wassail Open House at the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts. Homes in town were proudly participating in displaying beautiful holiday wreaths on their front doors, and the Kemerer was no exception. A gentleman dressed in typical Victorian attire greeted guests at the entrance of the house museum.
Musicians entertained us with classic Christmas favorites as we meandered throughout the historic home.
The Festival of Trees was also taking place this weekend and the Kemerer house museum showcased several of the splendidly decorated Christmas trees throughout the home. Warm mulled apple cider was available to all visitors.
A trolley offered rides free of charge to Christkindlmarkt, on the other side of town at the SteelStacks facility. This large Christmas Market is the main reason why out of town guests visit Bethlehem during the Christmas season.
A large indoor facility aisle upon aisle of unique craft vendors, Christmas ornaments, jewelry, knit items, and much more. Food vendors are located in an adjacent tent behind the main one.
Outside of the main large exhibit hall building, there were additional small boutiques as well. Another tented area housed food stalls, more holiday gift vendors, and a singer/musician belting out some wonderful Christmas songs.
Upon exiting the market, an illuminated choo choo train display and large Christmas tree awes the crowds.
Adjacent to the market is another building in the SteelStacks entertainment complex. Its walls contain photos and text that depicts the history of the former Bethlehem Steel company. The former factory’s stacks are lit up in red and green for the Christmas Market season.
For dinner, I dined at Nawab Indian Restaurant ( Nawab Indian Restaurant). This reasonably priced restaurant offered several vegan selections. My main entree was the mixed veggies in tomato onion sauce, accompanied by white rice and roti bread. The meal was delicious.
When I decided to travel to Bethlehem for the Christmas Markets, I was also excited that the renowned Vegan Treats Bakery was located here in the same city! Vegan Treats Bakery (Vegan Treats Bakery) is an all-vegan bakery that offers scrumptious baked goods including seasonal cakes, cookies, pies. I purchased a ginger cookie for my evening snack and a cookies and cream doughnut for the following day’s breakfast. The cookie was delectable .
As I headed back to my airbnb for the night, happy memories of the Christmas Markets, holiday music, and great vegan food occupied my thoughts. I looked forward to the next day’s historic city walking tour and more incredible vegan meals!