You can take a step back in time as Hope Township presents its 5^th annual Moravian Christmas with a walking lantern tour through the Historic Moravian Village on Saturday Dec. 11. 

Period costumed guides will lead groups through streets lined with 1500 luminaires, stopping at various historic buildings for glimpses into the Moravian way of life and the Moravian Christmas celebration. 

Five years ago, this lantern tour was begun by a group of Hope residents with the vision of people coming out to rural New Jersey to enjoy not only the scenery, but a bit of Hope’s History and true meaning of the Christmas season.  This program has gone through several changes keeping the historic lantern tour and adding food, music, and a Putz display, as well as a live Nativity.

Visitors can also choose to visit with St. Nicholas, and the Festival of Trees and finish the day by attending a true Moravian Church service at St. John’s United Methodist Church at 7:30 p.m. The thing that has not changed over the years is the fact that it is still run by volunteers, many of them the same ones that began the event five years ago.  The proceeds from the Tour are used to fund the following year’s tour in addition to any donations collected for the event during the year.

Lantern Tours begin at the Hope Community Center at 4 p.m. and run every 20 minutes until 6. The tours last approximately 75 – 90 minutes each.  Tour tickets are available online for $20 by email grandma.9@hotmail.com  or by phone, 908.459.4918. Tour tickets will also be available at the door the night of the event, for $25. 

For additional information, visit www.hope250.com or www.hopenjhistory.com.

The Festival of Trees and music with Brian Kathenes and the Exit 12 Band will be open on Sunday, December 12, from 1-4 p.m. This is free of charge.