SCHWENKFELDER LIBRARY & HERITAGE CENTER
105 Seminary Street, Pennsburg, PA 18073
Phone 215 679-3103 Fax 215 679-8175
info@schwenkfelder.com
www.schwenkfelder.com

February 29, 2008

Contact: Rebecca Lawrence
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
215-679-3103, phone
215-679-8175, fax

GERMAN AMERICAN EASTER TRADITIONS HERITAGE CENTER

PENNSBURG, Pa. - The Board of Directors of the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center invites the public to a discussion-lecture entitled: "German-American Eastertide Traditions" on Wednesday, March 16 at noon by Dr. L. Allen Viehmeyer, Associate Director of Research and Rebecca Lawrence, Museum Educator. The public is invited to bring a lunch to this free discussion-lecture; beverages will be provided. The lecture will be repeated on Sunday, March 16, 2008 at 2:00 pm.

German Easter traditions have been modified and adapted in American culture; it was the German immigrants who brought the custom of the Osterhaws or Easter rabbit to the American colonies. The traditions of crafting egg trees, saffron egg nests, and Easter birds are no longer local practices, but the Easter bunny, Easter breads and decorated Easter eggs are still part of today's customs. The workshop will be a discussion with audience participation about the German roots of Easter traditions, focusing on lost Pennsylvania-German and German-American Eastertide customs.

The Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center was founded in 1884 as an informal collection in a private home to assure the preservation of the Schwenkfelders' cultural identity. Today the Heritage Center, a not-for-profit organization, is still preserving, interpreting and documenting the history of this German Protestant group, along with the history of the Upper Perkiomen Valley. The Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm; Thursdays 9:00 am to 8:00 pm; Saturdays 10:00 am to 3:00 pm; and Sundays 1:00 to 4:00 pm. The Heritage Center is closed to the public on Mondays. For additional information call 215-679-3103 or visit our website www.schwenkfelder.com

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