What Is the Origin of the Moravian Star?
Moravian stars today decorate many homes and churches worldwide during Christmas, often appearing at the start of the Advent season and remaining until Epiphany in January. With a variety of sizes and styles, these multipointed, illuminated stars decorate Christmas trees, front porches and church sanctuaries. But they weren't originally created to tell the story of Christ's birth; instead, they were made to teach geometry to students in 19th-century Germany.
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Date Debate
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It is believed that the first Moravian star was made in the early or mid-19th century in the village of Niesky, Germany. One source says the stars were hung as decorations as early as 1821, while another sets the date as the 1830s. Other sources give later dates.
Geometry Project
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The first Moravian stars were probably made of paper and created by students in German boarding schools belonging to the Moravian Church, such as the United Boys Institution in Niesky, as a hands-on way to learn geometry. Unfortunately, no one knows the name of the clever teacher who came up with the idea. After a star with 110 points was hung in a school courtyard to celebrate Epiphany, or the coming of the Magi, the tradition spread to other schools.
Church Symbol
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One of the earliest Protestant denominations, the Moravian Church stressed simplicity in lifestyle and religious practice. The simple paper Moravian stars were quickly adopted as a symbol reflecting the core values of the church and its communities. Moravians also considered the star a symbol of the promise of Christ's birth during Christmastime and of his ongoing presence in the world. Today, single Moravian stars are often hung at the beginning of the Advent season, or the fourth Sunday before Christmas.
Mass Production
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In 1880, a graduate of the Moravian boarding school in Niesky named Pieter Verbeek began selling the stars in his bookstore. Moravian missionaries began carrying the custom to countries around the world, and Moravian settlers brought the stars to their settlements in America. Verbeek's son Harry eventually expanded his father's business and opened a factory in the nearby Moravian community of Herrnhut, Germany.
Shapes and Sizes
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While most of the earliest Moravian stars were small and adorned Christmas trees, today the stars are available in many sizes. The traditional star has 26 points, but styles range from only six points to more than 100. The original stars were illuminated with a small oil lamp placed inside, but today's varieties include a large, plastic outdoor Moravian star lit by electricity. Multicolored glass stars are also available. Moravian stars are traditionally white, but the originals had red and white points.
Manufacturers
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The Moravian star factory in Herrnhut, Germany, appears to have operated continuously until it was closed during World War I. Production was halted again when the factory was burned during World War II. During these times, production shifted to Moravian communities in America. Today, the majority of stars are produced by a newer factory in Herrnhut, Germany, and by manufacturers near Winston-Salem, North Carolina, which was founded in part by Moravian immigrants.
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