By Kenneth S. Allen
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

In 1752, a missionary delegation set out from Bethlehem, Pa., to the Piedmont region of North Carolina to establish a branch of the Moravian church. The settlement of Salem grew up around the church and was chartered in 1766. In the mid-1950s, a nonprofit corporation formed to preserve the old buildings, resulting in the charming village of Old Salem, just west of downtown Winston-Salem.

Old Salem is a genuine living history museum, giving visitors a view of 18th- and 19th-century life in a Moravian community. Interpreters practice the crafts traditionally found in those times, such as blacksmithing, tinsmithing, shoemaking, and baking.

While Old Salem is open year-round, it really comes alive around Thanksgiving and Christmas.

"During the holidays, Old Salem is a really wonderful place to get into the holiday spirit," says Lauren Werner, director of marketing for Old Salem Museums & Gardens. "The whole place is decorated. Everybody is in a good mood. You can’t smell the sugar cakes at Winkler Bakery without getting into the spirit."

Holiday fare
On Friday and Saturday nights during the holidays, candlelight tours run every half hour from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Visitors are welcomed into the 18th- and 19th-century homes to hear traditional music, sing Christmas carols, and play games of the period. Each tour ends with a tasty treat of either sugar cake or ginger cookies. Cost is $18 for adults and $12 for children.

Beginning on December 9, visitors can learn to make pewter spoons, craft wooden toys, and cook Moravian-style Christmas treats in museum classes. (For the uninitiated, Moravian treats are typified by paper-thin ginger cookies that crackle satisfyingly in the mouth and dimpled sugar cakes that improve any cup of coffee.)

On the musical front, a Carol Sing will occur on December 7, and recitals on the Tannenberg organ will be held at noon on December 10, 17, and 31.