Käthe Wohlfahrt of America sells German inspired and handcrafted holiday and seasonal décor at Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt. They offer Nutcrackers, incense smokers, pyramids and ornaments reflecting skills of artisans that have flourished in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany for over 200 years.
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A wooden Watchman with freckled cheeks and an open-mouthed stare stands at attention inside the Käthe Wohlfahrt booth at Christkindlmarkt, wielding a halberd as if making his rounds high above Bethlehem.
The figurine harkens back to the years before the dawn of the 20th century, when the Night Watchmen responsible for the safety of inhabitants in Rothenburg, Germany, would guard the walled, fortified city. They would sing songs on the hour as a reminder to residents who were sound asleep in their homes that they were still alive and watching over them.
Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt, presented by Univest Financial, opens for the 2022 season on Friday, Nov. 18, on the SteelStacks campus in South Bethlehem, and runs through Dec. 18.
Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt, which opens Friday, features a booth from Käthe Wohlfahrt of America
They sell many traditional German items, including Weihnachtspyramide and Schwibbogens
They also sell ornaments, advent calendars, music boxes, snow globes, beer steins and authentic German chocolate.
Traditionally, the Watchmen carried halberds to ward off intruders. Today, they still appear in front of the town hall to guide visitors through the cobblestone pathways of Rothenburg, much the way the figurines now beckon visitors to Wohlfahrt’s holiday market locations.
VIDEO: The Käthe Wohlfahrt booth at Christkindlmarkt
Thousands of other figures, including incense smokers and nutcrackers, also are on display at Christkindlmarkt.
The smokers are the type that have long graced German homes during the Christmas season and are lathe-turned and hand-painted, Käthe Wohlfahrt stand Manager Lyn Ethier said.
Many are meticulously crafted from a single piece of wood, carved so that a unique effect will occur as the smoke rises through.
“The Watchman opens up on the bottom and the smoke actually comes out of his mouth,” Ethier said. “And we do carry different incense, different scents, including baked apple and Christmas thyme.”
With visitors set to weave through the open-air stalls of Christkindlmarkt, many will look for seasonal items to buy for friends and family. But not all are aware of the history and symbolism of the objects they’ll take home.
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Käthe Wohlfahrt of America sells German inspired and handcrafted holiday and seasonal décor at Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt. They offer Nutcrackers, incense smokers, pyramids and ornaments reflecting skills of artisans that have flourished in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany for over 200 years.
Stephanie Sigafoos
2 of 23 — Christkindlemarkt1.jpg
Käthe Wohlfahrt of America sells German inspired and handcrafted holiday and seasonal décor at Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt. They offer Nutcrackers, incense smokers, pyramids and ornaments reflecting skills of artisans that have flourished in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany for over 200 years.
Stephanie Sigafoos
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Käthe Wohlfahrt of America sells German inspired and handcrafted holiday and seasonal décor at Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt. They offer Nutcrackers, incense smokers, pyramids and ornaments reflecting skills of artisans that have flourished in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany for over 200 years.
Stephanie Sigafoos
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Käthe Wohlfahrt of America sells German inspired and handcrafted holiday and seasonal décor at Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt. They offer Nutcrackers, incense smokers, pyramids and ornaments reflecting skills of artisans that have flourished in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany for over 200 years.
Stephanie Sigafoos
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Käthe Wohlfahrt of America sells German inspired and handcrafted holiday and seasonal décor at Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt. They offer Nutcrackers, incense smokers, pyramids and ornaments reflecting skills of artisans that have flourished in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany for over 200 years.
Stephanie Sigafoos
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Käthe Wohlfahrt of America sells German inspired and handcrafted holiday and seasonal décor at Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt. They offer Nutcrackers, incense smokers, pyramids and ornaments reflecting skills of artisans that have flourished in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany for over 200 years.
Stephanie Sigafoos
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Käthe Wohlfahrt of America sells German inspired and handcrafted holiday and seasonal décor at Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt. They offer Nutcrackers, incense smokers, pyramids and ornaments reflecting skills of artisans that have flourished in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany for over 200 years.
Stephanie Sigafoos
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Käthe Wohlfahrt of America sells German inspired and handcrafted holiday and seasonal décor at Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt. They offer Nutcrackers, incense smokers, pyramids and ornaments reflecting skills of artisans that have flourished in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany for over 200 years.
Stephanie Sigafoos
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Käthe Wohlfahrt of America sells German inspired and handcrafted holiday and seasonal décor at Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt. They offer Nutcrackers, incense smokers, pyramids and ornaments reflecting skills of artisans that have flourished in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany for over 200 years.
Stephanie Sigafoos
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Käthe Wohlfahrt of America sells German inspired and handcrafted holiday and seasonal décor at Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt. They offer Nutcrackers, incense smokers, pyramids and ornaments reflecting skills of artisans that have flourished in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany for over 200 years.
Stephanie Sigafoos
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Käthe Wohlfahrt of America sells German inspired and handcrafted holiday and seasonal décor at Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt. They offer Nutcrackers, incense smokers, pyramids and ornaments reflecting skills of artisans that have flourished in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany for over 200 years.
Stephanie Sigafoos
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Käthe Wohlfahrt of America sells German inspired and handcrafted holiday and seasonal décor at Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt. They offer Nutcrackers, incense smokers, pyramids and ornaments reflecting skills of artisans that have flourished in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany for over 200 years.
Stephanie Sigafoos
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Käthe Wohlfahrt of America sells German inspired and handcrafted holiday and seasonal décor at Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt. They offer Nutcrackers, incense smokers, pyramids and ornaments reflecting skills of artisans that have flourished in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany for over 200 years.
Stephanie Sigafoos
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Käthe Wohlfahrt of America sells German inspired and handcrafted holiday and seasonal décor at Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt. They offer Nutcrackers, incense smokers, pyramids and ornaments reflecting skills of artisans that have flourished in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany for over 200 years.
Stephanie Sigafoos
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Käthe Wohlfahrt of America sells German inspired and handcrafted holiday and seasonal décor at Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt. They offer Nutcrackers, incense smokers, pyramids and ornaments reflecting skills of artisans that have flourished in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany for over 200 years.
Stephanie Sigafoos
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Käthe Wohlfahrt of America sells German inspired and handcrafted holiday and seasonal décor at Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt. They offer Nutcrackers, incense smokers, pyramids and ornaments reflecting skills of artisans that have flourished in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany for over 200 years.
Stephanie Sigafoos
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Käthe Wohlfahrt of America sells German inspired and handcrafted holiday and seasonal décor at Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt. They offer Nutcrackers, incense smokers, pyramids and ornaments reflecting skills of artisans that have flourished in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany for over 200 years.
Stephanie Sigafoos
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Käthe Wohlfahrt of America sells German inspired and handcrafted holiday and seasonal décor at Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt. They offer Nutcrackers, incense smokers, pyramids and ornaments reflecting skills of artisans that have flourished in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany for over 200 years.
Stephanie Sigafoos
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Käthe Wohlfahrt of America sells German inspired and handcrafted holiday and seasonal décor at Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt. They offer Nutcrackers, incense smokers, pyramids and ornaments reflecting skills of artisans that have flourished in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany for over 200 years.
Stephanie Sigafoos
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Käthe Wohlfahrt of America sells German inspired and handcrafted holiday and seasonal décor at Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt. They offer Nutcrackers, incense smokers, pyramids and ornaments reflecting skills of artisans that have flourished in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany for over 200 years.
Stephanie Sigafoos
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Käthe Wohlfahrt of America sells German inspired and handcrafted holiday and seasonal décor at Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt. They offer Nutcrackers, incense smokers, pyramids and ornaments reflecting skills of artisans that have flourished in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany for over 200 years.
Stephanie Sigafoos
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Käthe Wohlfahrt of America sells German inspired and handcrafted holiday and seasonal décor at Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt. They offer Nutcrackers, incense smokers, pyramids and ornaments reflecting skills of artisans that have flourished in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany for over 200 years.
Stephanie Sigafoos
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Nutcracker
Stephanie Sigafoos
The German smokers are used to symbolize the gift of incense brought to Jesus by the Three Wise Men. On the last day of 12 days of Christmas festivities in Germany, many still use them to mark the end of the Christmas season, Ethier said.
Along a far wall inside the market also are some of the more popular items minutely carved of light wood and either natural or hand painted. They include Schwibbogens and pyramids, with the former inspired by the German miners’ Christmas Eve tradition of hanging lanterns around the entrances of mines.
Stephanie Sigafoos
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LehighValleyNews.com
Käthe Wohlfahrt of America sells German inspired and handcrafted holiday and seasonal décor at Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt. They offer Nutcrackers, incense smokers, pyramids and ornaments reflecting skills of artisans that have flourished in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany for over 200 years.
“The Schwibbogens are always in an arch,” Ethier said. “The most popular themes are usually manger scenes or choirs, and then we get into Santa Claus, town workshops and then the outdoors, with kids playing and deer running around. Stuff like that.”
While Schwibbogens are meant to typify the beauty of Christmas, there’s nothing more intricate and detailed than the Weihnachtspyramide, or pyramids, featuring traditionally rotated wooden propellers powered by the heat of candles.
The largest pyramids are tiered four or five levels, much like a wedding cake, though they’re meant to resemble a Christmas tree. They originated with woodcarvers in the Erzgebirge mountain region, and a traditional German pyramid typically features small figurines playing out Christmas scenes on each level.
Stephanie Sigafoos
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LehighValleyNews.com
Käthe Wohlfahrt of America sells German inspired and handcrafted holiday and seasonal décor at Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt. They offer Nutcrackers, incense smokers, pyramids and ornaments reflecting skills of artisans that have flourished in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany for over 200 years.
“Basically, it was a poor man's Christmas tree,” Ethier said. “It was a low cost for people that couldn't afford a real tree, so they created their own.”
Ethier’s booth at Christkindlmarkt also offers ornaments, advent calendars, music boxes, snow globes, beer steins and authentic German chocolate.
“If people are looking for more personal gifts, something with a Käthe Wohlfahrt tag you will not find anyplace else. It's made specifically for Käthe Wohlfahrt,” she said, noting she can’t wait to open the doors for the holiday season.
“We have people who are from Germany that will come in and, you know, they've been living here for a while and it kind of takes them back. Or we have a lot of people that visit Germany, you know, and they love Käthe Wohlfahrt. They’ll come in here and say they feel like they're back on vacation. It’s really neat."
What: Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt When: The 2022 season presented by Univest Financial begins on Friday, Nov. 18 and runs weekends through Dec. 18. Where: SteelStacks campus in South Bethlehem
A Lehigh Valley native, I come to LehighValleyNews.com from The Morning Call where I worked more than 14 years in various roles on the digital news team. An Easton (Go Rovers!) and Kutztown University graduate, I live on Allentown’s east side and I’m actively involved in the Midway Manor community group. In my spare time, I also enjoy the local craft beer scene, love to travel and can often be found tracking severe weather. Contact me at StephanieS@lehighvalleynews.com or 610-984-8160.
