For the third year, members of the First Christian Church launched the Christmas season by bringing Bethlehem to life.
Once again transforming the church's great room into a Biblical-era village, more than 75 volunteers showcased the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of life two millennia ago for the general public. A Taste of Bethlehem featured musicians, food stalls — offering everything from figs, dates, hummus and pita bread to olives, feta cheese, baklava and bread — shepherds, story tellers, basket weavers, potters and wood carvers. All shared space with a live Nativity scene to honor life at the time of Christ's birth.
"Carpenters made furniture in that period, not working on houses,” said Robert Ayala of Bellaire who demonstrated the trade by carving legs of a stool and also displaying bowls and spoons he made. "They had iron tools at that time, no steel yet.”
The event drew an estimated 1,300-1,500 attendees Friday and Saturday to the church, where a combination of the lighting, scenery, booths and costumes set a reverent Christmas mood.
"I love it,” said Theresa Mulcahy, a first-time attendee. "It takes you away to a new land, it's very beautiful and it also makes you think about what Christmas is all about.”
Two camels greeted A Taste of Bethlehem visitors at the church's front door, solidifying the event's Middle Eastern aura. After the planned ungulates' visit was snowed out last year, organizers were thrilled that owner Kirk Elya of Lexington, in the Thumb area, brought the pair from his menagerie on Whispering Pines Animal Kingdom.
"I think that enticed people, too, you don't often see camels unless you take a trip downstate to a zoo,” noted LeAnne Sleder, event coordinator.
Over two days, a wardrobe of 63 hand-made costumes draped volunteers, vendors and guest musicians who swapped them between shifts. Inveterate seamstress Diana Dumouchelle, co-founder of A Taste of Bethlehem, adds to the inventory every year, introducing among others a Roman tax collector and soldier outfits last year.
From ever-changing headgear to the three basics for men's costumes — an under dress, a thicker belt that held money and personal belongings and an outer coat — Dumouchelle found that recreating clothes from the era was a matter of mix and match.
"I've done some research and at that time, the people in history didn't really have significant wardrobes of their own,” said Dumouchelle, who also looked into dye technology to ensure that her creations were not too bright.
A Taste of Bethlehem began in 2003 as an internal event for church members. Realizing they had significant potential to reach others, two years ago the church expanded the event and opened it to the public. The production this year required a planning committee of five, who worked since January to pull it together.
While a freewill donation is accepted to help defray expenses of the next year's event, A Taste of Bethlehem is offered to the community without strings.
"The main mission is to reach everybody in the true reason for the season: Christ,” said Sleder. "There are so many holiday events where Christ is not involved, this is one way to touch people and give back and entice people to share their Christmas in Christ.”