BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Historic Hotel Bethlehem is bringing its own brand of holiday tradition to Christmas Eve again.
The hotel will turn off part of its rooftop "HOTEL BETHLEHEM" sign — a Main Street and historic district beacon — so that only the "BETHLEHEM" part glows in the night.
Bruce Haines, the hotel's managing partner, revived the old-time tradition several years ago and has kept it going each year since.
The sign goes partially dark Christmas Eve through Christmas night.
"On Christmas Eve, we attend Christmas Eve service at Central Moravian Church," Haines said in a news release. "I just love when we step out onto the church steps and see only the word BETHLEHEM in the night sky. It is the most magical moment of the year and reminds us of the true reason for the season."
The tradition goes back decades, possibly as early as the 1950s.
Exactly when the tradition stopped isn’t certain. Former employees have told Haines they believe it fell out of practice around the late 1970s.
"It's a very special way to celebrate our history.”Bruce Haines, Historic Hotel Bethlehem managing partner
In 2018, Bethlehem resident Debbie Helms, who worked at the hotel years ago, told Haines about the old custom and he restored it.
“I just thought it was such a beautiful sentiment that I had to bring it back," he said. "It's a very special way to celebrate our history.”
In August, the building at 437 Main St. for the fifth-straight year won a USA Today poll declaring it the best historic hotel in America.
Across Main Street from Central Moravian Church and adjacent to the original Moravian settlement that led to the city’s founding, the hotel is near the site of Bethlehem’s first house. That’s where on Christmas Eve in 1741, Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf and other Moravian settlers named Bethlehem in homage to the place where Jesus was born.
“Through Christmas night, there's a lot of hustle and bustle in the holiday season," Haines said. "It's important for us to take a moment and reflect on what's truly important. That's our beloved community of Bethlehem here in Pennsylvania and the miracle that happened in the original Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago."
