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50th Anniversary Christmas City Seal Released

Est. Read Time: 2 mins

The Citizens Christmas City Committee is celebrating their 50th anniversary this year and recently released the 50th Anniversary Seal. The winner of the 2014 Christmas City Seal contest is Sergei Yaralov, a local artist who owns a gallery on Main Street in the historic Moravian downtown shopping district in Bethlehem. The image is a replication of an oil on canvas painting by Yaralov, depicting the Brethren’s House on the southern end of Main Street with the windows dotted with lights. This design reflects the theme of this year’s contest, which was “A Candle in Every Window.”

The 2014 Christmas City Seal was designed by Bethlehem artist Sergei Yaralov to reflect the theme, "A Candle in Every Window." Sales of the Seal help fund Bethlehem's beloved holiday lighting and decorations.

The 2014 Christmas City Seal was designed by Bethlehem artist Sergei Yaralov to reflect the theme, “A Candle in Every Window.” Sales of the Seal help fund Bethlehem’s beloved Christmas trees and lighting.

This was the original theme that the committee used to try to streamline and beautify the city’s decorations back in 1964, which harkens back to the Moravian heritage of Bethlehem.

The Christmas Seal is the primary fundraiser which pays for the trees and lighting for the City of Bethlehem during the holiday season.

“Many people think that the trees and lights that decorate the city are paid for by the City of Bethlehem,” said Lynn Collins Cunningham. But for the last 50 years, the Citizens Christmas City Committee has raised over a million dollars to buy the trees–and even the electricity to power the lights–which adorn the Christmas City during the holiday season. “We have a unique partnership with the city; they provide all of the labor and we provide the trees,” Cunningham said.

For information on the Seal or to be a part of the Citizens Christmas Committee, please call Lynn Cunningham at the Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce at 610-841-5800 (press 1), or email her at ly***@le*****************.org.

HISTORY OF THE SEAL CONTEST: The Citizens Christmas City Committee has published the Christmas City Seal since 1964 as a fundraiser for Bethlehem’s holiday season lighting and decorations and related projects supported by the committee. The stamps, designed to decorate holiday mail and promote the Christmas City USA, are mailed to 5,000 Bethlehem area residents and businesses in November. The committee, organized in 1964 as part of the Bethlehem Area Chamber of Commerce, sponsors the annual Community Advent Breakfast and Christmas City Tree Lighting Ceremony, which mark the beginning of the holiday season in Bethlehem.

The Christmas City Cacheted Cover was introduced in 1983 to showcase the seal. This philatelic collectible envelope bearing the seal and the U.S. Postal Christmas stamp of the Madonna and Child series is hand-cancelled with a Christmas City Station limited issue postmark which features the belfry of the Central Moravian Church. The cancellation is dated for the tree lighting ceremony where the unique envelope makes its annual debut.

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About the author

Josh Popichak

Josh Popichak is the owner, publisher and editor of Saucon Source. A Lehigh Valley native, he's covered local news since 2005 and previously worked for Berks-Mont News and AOL/Patch. Contact him at josh@sauconsource.com.

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