Hometown pride is particularly evident in Lititz at this time of the year. Vintage decorations, a Nativity in the town’s square, thousands of twinkling lights, festively decorated store windows, Moravian stars and history dating to the town’s founding in 1742 provide the backdrop for Lititz’s family-friendly community events. Here, we share Lititz at this most joyous time of the year, as captured by Donald Reese, who has become Lititz’s unofficial/official photographer.

Twenty-five years ago, Lititz became the focus of national attention when the American Civil Liberties Union issued a notice on December 17, 1993, that the Nativity in the town square – perceived as public property – had to be removed by December 24 or the ACLU would have no choice but to begin the litigation process. As a result, a 36-hour protest took place on December 23 and 24, drawing thousands from near and far, despite the frigid temperatures. A petition, signed by 7,000 people, was presented to borough council. In the end, research saved the Nativity. Records showed that the Nativity was not being displayed on public property – in actuality, the square was still owned by the Lititz Moravian Congregation. The Lititz Area Manger Preservation Society (LAMPS), which was established to further protect the Nativity, assumed ownership of the Nativity early in 1994. One of LAMPS first deeds was to refurbish the Nativity’s figurines, which made their first appearance in 1976. The project was completed in the fall, and the Nativity was rededicated on November 30. LAMPS then relinquished responsibility for the Nativity to the church.

The Moravian Star. The roots of this beloved symbol of Advent and the Christmas season date back to the 14th century, when Jan Hus and his followers sought religious freedom in Moravia and Bohemia (now parts of the Czech Republic). Accused of heresy, he was arrested and burned at the stake in 1415. Hus’s followers eventually found a safe refuge in Saxony thanks to Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf. On his land, they established the village of Herrnhut. Legend has it that in an effort to explain a geometry concept, polyhedron, a teacher at the Moravian Boys School in Niesky, Germany (part of Saxony), created a unique paper star to illustrate his lesson. Students followed suit, and their creations became a sensation – people were intrigued by them. Christian Madsen, a student at the Niesky school, created the ultimate star in 1820. His star included 110 points. As the school was celebrating its 50th anniversary, it included Madsen’s star in its Christmas decorations. In 1880, Pieter Verbeek, who was a graduate of the school, opened a bookstore in Herrnhut and began selling the stars, which had come to symbolize the Advent season in the Moravian Church. The stars were so successful that Verbeek registered a patent for them in 1925. His son, Harry, carried the venture a step further when he launched the Herrnhut Star Factory, which conducted business on a worldwide basis. It operated until World War II, when it was destroyed by fire. The East German government reopened the factory and operated it for a brief time but turned it over to the Moravian Church in the early 50s. Today, the factory is known as the Abraham Durninger Company. Lititz is home to a source for Moravian Stars – the Moravian Mission Gift Shop (2 Church Avenue), which is filled with stars of all sizes and made from everything from plastic to glass. Proceeds from the shop’s sales benefit the Lititz Moravian Congregation’s mission work, both locally and internationally.

Lititz Moravian Congregation will host six Christmas Vigil Services on December 16, 23 and 24. Depending upon availability of tickets, they are open to the public. Visit lititzmoravian.org for details.

Santa and Mrs. Claus play an integral role in the annual Lititz Hometown Christmas celebration being held December 8. In addition to visiting with the Clauses, kids take part in the annual scavenger hunt that is held in the downtown area. Visit Facebook.com/lititzhometownchristmas for details.

Star-enhanced street lights and the holiday decor of the General Sutter Inn and Bulls Head Public House are reflected on an icy Main Street.

Donald Reese … In His Own Words

1. Where did you grow up, go to school, etc.?

I was born and raised in Akron and graduated from Ephrata High School. My wife, Debra, and I have a daughter, Toriana. Growing up, I had no interest in photography until I was out of school a couple of years and a friend asked if I wanted to go halves on a camera. I said sure, why not, and almost immediately people started telling me I had a great eye for composition and subject matter.

2. Tell us about your photography.

My photography includes nature and scenic images, light painting, infrared cemetery images and just about anything that catches my eye. I have always felt blessed by what I can only refer to as God’s guiding hand. That may sound crazy, but I have had many instances where there is more going on than mere luck. I used to do slide shows for large groups, and almost every time I would start to introduce myself and my work, I would feel this emotional wave coming over me because I knew the images were a result of something bigger than myself.

3. Did you study photography in college, or are you self-taught?

I, basically, got where I am today by learning as I went, looking at lots of images and working with and around talented photographers who shared their insights with me. I worked with Greg Heisey who was an excellent local wedding photographer, as well as Larry Lefever, a Lititz-based photographer who introduced me to “painting with light,” which is part of the technique I use in many of the Lititz images. Most everything I shoot is done on a tripod, using a tablet to control my camera, a flash to light the parts of the scene I want to highlight and time. Using the tablet, I can venture almost 100 yards from the camera, still fire the shutter and flash, and then look at the result instantly without running back to my camera.

4. You, obviously, shoot in all sorts of weather conditions and at all times of the day and night …

I love stormy weather, and that includes snowstorms, pouring rain and whatever dramatic light I can find. I am often practically alone as I brave the nasty weather to find beautiful scenes. I use an umbrella on a pole that shields my tripod and camera in bad weather, but even with my setup, shooting in the rain is just downright miserable. Photography for me is about the whole experience, and looking back at an image can instantly transport me to that moment in time.

I have many memories of shooting in Lititz, from 4-degree winter weather where my gloved hands hurt so bad I could hardly continue to shoot, to driving there and praying I would make it when there was a snow emergency issued – I was determined to get some shots in a foot-and-a-half of snow. I also have wonderful memories of the many downtown people like Gaylord Poling of The Tiger’s Eye who was always willing to share my images on the downtown Facebook page and allow everyone to enjoy my work.

5. How do you find your subject matter, notably the out-of-the-way
farms, etc.?

I literally just drive, look and always have my camera on the seat ready to shoot in an instant. It is not unusual for me to put 100 miles on my vehicle in a day when I am out shooting. This story is about Lititz, but I am also known for my Amish and Lancaster County shots, which I have always felt blessed to live among.

6. You have come to be regarded as the unofficial/official photographer of Lititz. How did you come to do so much photography in and around Lititz? What inspires you about Lititz?

There is something about Lititz that is hard to completely put into words. I can’t tell you how many times people have said my work reminds them of Thomas Kinkade, and I love creating images that have a dreamy quality to them that seems to transport you back to a simpler, more nostalgic time. The Lititz shop windows are decorated with such care, and they are so beautiful. Many times after I am done shooting, I will sit along Main Street on a snowy winter night, listening to Christmas music emanating from the Lititz Mutual building as it echoes through the streets, and I wonder to myself, have I been transported back in time?

One thing I seem to like is cool verses warm and seeing the cold blue outside and the warm inviting inside glow that gives the viewer a unique cozy feeling. The residents of Lititz love their town, and they completely support activities like the Christmas carol sing at the park for example. All these small things come together to help make it a very special town that sets it apart. One example of friendliness in this photo series is the shot taken outside Cafe Chocolate at Christmas time. There was an empty table out front, so I went across the street to Aaron’s Books, and the owner gladly offered me a collection of Christmas classics to put on the table to enhance the shot. Only in Lititz do you get a warm reception like that.

7. Is your work available for purchase at any local galleries or shops?

I do not currently have any place you can see my images except on my website, reesephoto.me. Prints of anything I have taken are available by contacting me there.

As Lori Sturgess demonstrates, celebrating the holidays can be done beautifully and creatively.

You might call Lori fearless when it comes to art. After graduating from McCaskey, she enrolled in the textile-design program at the University of Georgia. She eventually settled in Savannah, where she taught at the Savannah College of Art & Design and, due to her love of music, became involved with the Savannah Symphony. “I got my feet wet with the symphony,” she says of her penchant for becoming involved in fundraising efforts for nonprofit organizations. “Meetings were as old-school as it gets,” she says of the white-gloved ladies who gathered in dining rooms to conduct business.

Her next stop was Marietta, Georgia, where she launched her first company, Lori Betts, Ltd. The company “materialized” when a friend, who was aware of Lori’s artistic talents, invited her to travel with her to Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, where she was introduced to a woman who was in need of some design help. Specifically, she was searching for someone to customize small lampshades for her dining-room chandelier. “She had brought back some wonderful trims and other things from France,” Lori explains.

Lori was game to take on the assignment and hand-painted and embellished the shades. “I thought to myself, ‘I can do this,’” she says of the realization that she could launch a niche business. She shakes her head at the memory of skipping over formulating a business plan and other start-up steps and simply setting up shop. “I always seem to do things backwards!” she admits.

The venture soon translated into hand-painted linens that exhibit such motifs as florals, fruit, botanicals and holiday ornaments. She does remember visiting a friend in Florida, who invited her friends to her home to view Lori’s handiwork and offer honest assessments of her product. “They bought everything I had!” she says.

She then found a showroom at Marietta’s Design Center that was willing to represent her. “Suddenly, I had a $15,000 order to fulfill,” she recalls. At one point, she had nearly 2,000 wholesale clients on her spreadsheet. Success prompted her to hire seven artists and invest in a machine that could transfer her original designs onto the fabric.

After a dozen years, she walked away from the venture and pursued other opportunities. For a time, she marketed dried-flower arrangements for a Dutch company. She worked for Le Cordon Bleu in Atlanta. She oversaw the marketing for a designer show house.

She also became infatuated with sculpture that entailed “harvesting” anything that no longer served a purpose and giving it new life as art. The new venture, Recentered Pieces, led Lori and her collaborators to create sculptures for corporate and private clients, urban areas, sculpture gardens and even a dog park. Small sculptures proved to be popular as centerpieces for corporate and benefit dinners. Repurposing even made a leap to her paintings, which exhibit unexpected elements that bring a three-dimensional perspective to the finished product.

Two-and-a-half years ago, Lori returned to Lancaster, where she aimed to continue Recentered Pieces. She was inspired to relaunch Lori Betts, Ltd., when a woman from Washington, D.C. tracked her down in the hopes of buying more linens. “She purchased my linens in Bermuda 15 years ago,” Lori explains. “Considering all the moves I’ve made, she had to work hard to find me.”

Working out of her apartment above Gallery Row, Lori began creating her trademark linens. Occasional shows introduced her to potential clients. Tabletop sculptures, which can be rented, have graced such events as the Lancaster Chamber’s Annual Dinner.

Earlier this year, Lori made the leap and opened a gallery – The Studio – on the first block of North Prince Street. She has added canvas bags and notecards to Lori Betts, Ltd.’s lineup. She is also hosting workshops for budding artists who are welcome to dig through the gallery’s buckets and baskets of harvested elements and create everything from sculptures to memory boxes. She’s also tinkering with the idea of hosting FAM trips for out-of-town designers and event planners in an effort to show what Lancaster has to offer in their fields of interest.

“It’s been a crazy, fun and flattering ride, and I can’t wait to see what’s next,” she says about her roller coaster of a career.

The Studio is located at 52 North Prince Street. Call 717-394-2072 or visit recenteredpieces.com for hours/information.

Kevin Peters loves to deck the halls at holiday time. David Gelatt brings his artistic talents to the process. Together, they devise a theme that transforms their home into a Christmas extravaganza!

Kevin, who grew up in Manheim, has been “into Christmas” for as long as he can remember. He takes charge of the tree at his workplace, Wiley’s Pharmacy in Quarryville, and is the mastermind of the lighting display at his and David’s home on the East Side of Lancaster. “Our basement looks like the grid of an electric company,” David notes. Outdoors, more than 30,000 lights twinkle in the trees, on the garlands decorating the fence that encloses the backyard, as well as on the swags and around the wreaths (19 of them) that decorate the windows. What seems to be an equal number of lights illuminates the interior of their home. According to David, Kevin can spot a non-functioning bulb from a block away. Did I mention the lights are remote controlled? “It’s our gift to the electric company,” Kevin jokes.

In order to get the always-ambitious project completed by the first Saturday in December, Kevin typically takes off the week of Thanksgiving and the week after. “We have to get it all finished in time for our wreath-making party,” David explains of the tradition that attracts neighbors and friends. Attendees are instructed to bring along the elements they want to include on their wreaths, while David and Kevin supply the frames, wire and cutters for their projects. The hosts also prepare a ham, and guests are asked to bring sides along to share. “It’s a lot of fun,” David says, noting that over the course of the last decade, they’ve only had to deal with inclement weather on one occasion. “We might have as many as 30 people here,” he adds.

The two have settled into a decorating routine through which they devise a theme that is utilized for two successive years. Thus far, themes have revolved around the colors green and black & white. “Next year, it’s going to be purple,” David says. Another theme created a woodland scene.

Last year’s Williamsburg theme will carry into this year’s décor. “We went to Williamsburg to do research for this one,” David explains. While they expected to see the natural elements for which Williamsburg styling is known, they were surprised to see a tree bedecked with folk art at a museum they visited. “That really inspired me, but even with the natural elements, we saw things that we didn’t expect,” David says, referring to such things as pods, feathers and even oyster shells.

In August 2017, David began making ornaments. He created “stained-glass” ornaments by drying thin slices of oranges. Origami stars also abound – made from paper, he dipped them in shellac to give them a more aged appearance. He burned primitive images of trees into slices carved from the trunk of a Christmas tree. “That was Kevin’s idea,” he admits. Birds made from felt add to the folk-art look. Vintage doilies were wrapped and secured around gold balls. The handmade elements perfectly complemented the vintage ornaments that decorate the tree.

The final touch was adding amber lights to the tree. Again, the color tone complemented the theme and the period – late 18th century – in which their home was built. “Since this was a new theme for us, we started decorating right after Halloween last year,” David points out.

The Williamsburg theme carried into the outdoors with the design of the wreaths (all of which are crafted by David) and the welcoming fruit-and-magnolia-leaf fan over the front door. “The weather can really play havoc with that,” he says, referring to the fruit. “On warm days, you can end up with fruit salad on your doorstep.”

Natural elements also inspired David and Kevin indoors. Using found tree branches, David crafted a woven “quilt” that hangs on a wall. For the holidays, a colorful cardinal is added to the simple display. Looking for a way to use leftover twigs, the two devised a design over doorways and windows that mimics a manger. Twigs were also used to create primitive stars that hang from the ceiling.

Kevin’s beloved collection of Willow Tree figurines that comprise his very large Nativity also figures prominently into the display. One year he surveyed it and shared with David that it needed “something.” He had an idea – David could create some angel- and star-inspired paintings for the wall behind the display. The result is beautiful.

To whom does he credit his creativity? David names his mother, explaining, “I grew up in the middle of the Catskills. My mother, who was into cooking, canning, sewing and crafts, was self-taught. I think I get it from her,” he says. An accomplished cross-stitcher (as is Kevin), his new hobby is needlepunch.

In addition to the wreath-making party, December is a busy month for David and Kevin. The week before Christmas, the two host a dinner for Kevin’s family. “Twenty in this tiny space is tight,” David says of their home. “But, we manage and always have a wonderful time.”

David is also the orchestrator of the flash mob that regales shoppers at Lancaster Central Market with their rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus on the Saturday before Christmas. “This will be our eighth year,” he shares. “We’ve had as many as 250 take part; it varies from year to year.” The event has grown so much that this year he has four people assisting him with rehearsals and logistics.

The mob consists of members of area church choirs, as well as people who have learned of it through word of mouth and simply enjoy taking part. “This year, we’re excited to have cast members from Dutch Apple participating,” he says.

In addition to Lancaster Central Market, the flash mob will be popping up at other places around town on Saturday, December 22. (Past locations have included Building Character, the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square, Rachel’s Creperie, Binn’s Park, the Amtrack station and Excelsior.) David does share one tidbit. “This year, for the first time, we’ll be making an appearance outside the city.”

Williamsburg: A Holiday Destination

The famous Williamsburg holiday look dates to the mid-20th century. It was during the 1920s that John D. Rockefeller, Jr., his wife, Abby, and the Rev. William A.R. Goodwin began the effort to restore the town to reflect its Colonial roots. By the 30s, Colonial Williamsburg had become a tourist destination. Unfortunately, it initially lacked Christmas spirit at holiday time.

That changed when a Williamsburg look was devised that celebrated 18th-century English traditions (candles in the windows) and the natural beauty of the Tidewater area of Virginia. Somewhere along the way, designs that incorporated fruit (a luxury at Christmas in Colonial days) became a Williamsburg trademark.

The tradition continues. The famous decorations bring the spirit of the season to the grounds and buildings of Colonial Williamsburg, as well as to the quaint houses that surround them. What goes into the displays? According to The Washington Post, last year’s supply list included 2,552 wreaths (they go into production in September), 4,450 yards of pine roping and 79 cases of fruit (apples, lemons, oranges, pomegranates). Elements such as oyster shells, pods, feathers, grasses and plant matter are also needed.

According to Laura Viancour, Williamsburg’s director of landscaping, 40 degrees is the perfect temperature to maintain the fruit-laden décor. At higher temperatures, the fruit rots. At colder temperatures, it freezes and decays. As a result, the staff keeps Colonial Williamsburg looking picture-perfect throughout the season by simply replacing the fruit as needed.