Come and share with us

the joy, the sights, the sound

of a traditional Moravian Christmas

"Remembering What Our Fathers Told"

Candle Tea and Craft / Bake Sale

Thursday, December 5, 2024

Candle Tea Tours start every 15 minutes

First Tour begins at 5:00 PM

Last Tour begins at 8:00 PM

The Candle Tea is our gift to the community. No admission fee.  

Craft and bake items will be available for purchase. Proceeds help support the Candle Tea.

Children and senior groups are welcomed Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings. 

The 2024 Candle Tea will be December 4th, 5th, and 6th. Groups must call to schedule morning tours. Contact the church office at 336-723-3444 to reserve a day and time.

The Candle Tea is a tour of Moravian traditions. Each year during the first week of Advent, more than 800 children from surrounding schools and 250 adults come to Ardmore to hear about the love of Jesus. Visitors hear the story of the birth of Christ and enjoy music and Moravian cookies, while learning about traditions such as the advent wreath, Moravian Star, beeswax candles, cookie making, and tin smiths.

Emphasis is placed on the outreach to children, hoping they will experience the Lord's love through the love shown by the congregation. More than 80 church volunteers contribute to the Candle Tea by greeting, hosting, providing music, demonstrating crafts, serving guests, monitoring the bake table, making crafts, donating money, feeding workers, and cleaning up. Children participate alongside our senior members in activities ranging from serving lemonade and cookies to our guests, to demonstrating or explaining the traditions.

THE CANDLE TEA TOUR:

1. Begins in the Sanctuary where the children are welcomed, told briefly what they will be seeing, sing and/or hear a Christmas carol, and invited (them and their parents) to come again.
   
2. Cookie making is demonstrated.  As fresh aroma of the baking fills the room, visitors are shown how the thin cookies are rolled and baked.  Of course, each child gets to sample the finished baked goods.
   
3. The significance of beeswax, red trim, the light from the candle, and the advent wreath are explained as the candle making and paper cutting are demonstrated.
   
4. The history of how star making began and the biblical scriptures about the star are discussed as Morning Star plays in the background.  Stars in various phases of production are on display for children to examine.
   
5. Examples of “old timey” household utensils are on display as a speaker informs the children the purpose of the item.  The difference between tin, pewter, and aluminum is shown.
   
6. The Putz helps the children to visualize the Christmas Story as the event of the joyous Christmas is told.
   
7. The Candle Tea tour concludes as the guests are seated in Fellowship Hall.  Guests receive lemonade and cookies.