The Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center

Did you miss May's Pennsylvania German Hour on bctv.org? If so, make sure to check out the YouTube link below for a demonstration of barn stars and hex signs! https://youtu.be/0KS6p6h9eSw

Did you know that Director Patrick Donmoyer will be speaking tomorrow morning at 10:00am on house blessing inscriptions? Berks History Center will be hosting this Zoom event, so be sure to check out their page a register for this event!

Don't forget to tune into bctv.org this Friday at 10:00am for the Pennsylvania German Hour!

The first of May is by no means an official holiday among the Pennsylvania Dutch, but a number of significant folk-cultural traditions took place on this day. As the midpoint between the vernal equinox and the summer solstice, May first coincided with the visible increase of daylight and the blossoming of the earth. It is therefore small wonder that the day was associated with fertility and the blossoming of youth. A wide range of ritual traditions made use of this dew on the... first day of the month, or on three successive mornings starting on the first. The dew was thought to be particularly effective in treating a broad spectrum of skin ailments and concerns, everything from removing blemishes to birthmarks, pimples to warts. Even freckles, which were once considered undesirable, were thought to be "cured" by the dew on May first. Even if you didn't have any blemishes to speak of, one's complexion was thought to be improved by an application of the dew, ensuring that a person of courting or marrying age would find an eligible suitor. The typical procedure involved going out alone before the sunrise, gathering the dew on ones hands or on a cloth, and applying the dew to ones skin without being seen. The individual was to return to their home without speaking about it, or the ritual was thought to be for naught. Many times this was done three times on three successive days. Many variations of this ritual have been reported throughout the region, suggesting that one must apply the dew while fasting before breakfast, or in some cases the dew must be applied while wearing no clothing. This latter aspect has led to some embarrassing local narratives of young men and women being spotted, much to their dismay, naked and alone in the backyard in the early morning hours on the first of May. These local cautionary tales concerning the May dew also include accounts of those unfortunate individuals who hurriedly applied an uneven distribution of dew and only managed to remove a portion of their freckles! As a corollary to this tradition, many Pennsylvania Dutch people believed that the dew on May first must not be disturbed in the fields and pastures, or the fertility and productivity would be "stolen" from the crops and livestock. The belief was that jealous neighbors would walk through the fields dragging a rope or scarf to ritually gather the dew and steal the blessings of spring. This resulted in some farmers keeping watch over their fields, and, presumably, this perception was reinforced by the occasional freckled youth looking for a covert place to apply the dew in privacy! Have you ever heard any old stories about the dew on May first? Share them with us! (Hopefully they aren't too embarrassing...!)

Join Patrick Donmoyer, in collaboration with the Historic Barn & Farm Foundation, for a presentation this Tuesday, April 20th on Zoom! If you are interested, be sure to message the HBFF page to have your name added to the list. Mark 7:00p.m. EST, Tuesday, April 20 for the next Virtual Barnstorming event! We'll learn more about the life and work of Berks County's most prolific barn star painter! If you were not on the first Zoom event's invite list, please message your email to the Historic Barn and Farm Foundation Facebook page and they will send you the invite.

Haven't had your fill of the Belsnickel yet? This interview with the Belsnickel was taped in 2019, but they must have been so scared they waited until this year to publish! Have you been good or bad this year? Watch out because the Belsnickel knows!

We are so thankful to all those who participated or tuned in to our Virtual Christmas on the Farm yesterday! While we are sad we didn't see you in person, we are happy to provide a little Christmas cheer this Holiday Season!

Christmas is right around the corner which means Belsnickel is on his way! Although this year’s Christmas festivities may be socially distanced, that doesn’t mean you are allowed to misbehave! We all know this is when the Belsnickel leaves his otherworldly home to see if we have been good or bad. During Virtual Christmas on the Farm Heritage Center Director, Patrick Donmoyer, will be sitting down with the creature to get his side of the story. Learn more about this enigmatic figure in Pennsylvania Dutch folklore!

Christmas on the Farm would be incomplete without Mike & Linda Hertzog performing traditional Pennsylvania Dutch and holiday favorites. This dynamic duo has performed throughout the United States and recently in Germany. They are well known throughout the region for their annual performances of the traditional Pennsylvania Dutch New Year's Wish blessing, also known as the Longswamp New Years Wish, previously performed with Peter Fritsch. Mike and Linda will be sure to keep toes tapping this holiday season.

The holidays are probably going to look a little different this year for all of us, but we still love hearing from all our friends and members during this special season. We had such fun interacting with everyone during our Virtual Heemet Fescht that we decided to do it again for Christmas on the Farm! Come join us on December 5th on Facebook LIVE from 10am until 4pm. Be on the lookout for more updates including our line-up of musicians, speakers, presenters and of course, the Belsnickel! We hope you can join us!

Join us in watching the work of seasoned traditional craftsman and carpenter Daniel Aruta of Pinecraft Log Homes, based in Oley, Berks County. Dan demonstrations the techniques used to build many of the earliest log homes in America such as felling trees to hewing logs, cutting joinery and raising walls. Although Dan's training in log homes took place in the Ozarks, these mountain communities trace some of their traditions to the broader Pennsylvania diaspora.

Coming Soon! Preorder your copy today!

Don't forget to tune into The Pennsylvania German Hour on bctv.org this morning at 10:00am!

From our Heemet to yours - We wanted to say thank you to everyone who joined us today! We appreciate all your support!

A delicious lunch-hour demonstration from bruder Terry Berger!

Just a reminder to set your clocks for tomorrow morning at 10am! Virtual Heemet Fescht 2020 will be filled with presentations, musical performances, works of art, poems, and food, so you won't want to miss it! Be sure to tune in to Facebook LIVE tomorrow, Saturday September 26th from 10am until 4pm.... Like, comment, and share with your family and friends, and experience Heemet Fescht 2020 from the comfort of your own Heemet!