By Daniel Winningham
Earlier this month the Lutheran Heritage Center in Altenburg debuted its 17th Christmas tree display.
This year’s name of the exhibit is “The Gift of Heritage,” Carla Grebing, development director of the Lutheran Heritage Center said.
“That’s our theme because we have the new expansion, so we’re looking forward to the future, we’re grateful for the present and, of course, as a museum, we look to the past,” Grebing said.
More than 45 trees are part of the display with a variety of themes, including ‘Cradle to the Cross’, Happy Birthday, Jesus! music, ladder, Saxon immigration
Missouri’s bicentennial, East Perry County sports, country churches, farm heritage, scherenschnitte (paper cutting), Delftware (blue and white porcelain), gardening and (Farmer’s) Almanac, beer and more.
Look closely enough and there is wrapped package or present included on each displayed tree, so people can look at the trees and there’s also a little “search and find gift,” according to Grebing.
“It’s a little extra,” Grebing noted. “Kids love it, and adults who are young at heart love to look for the gift, too.”
The display opened Nov. 15 and will remain open through Jan. 15, noted Grebing. The Lutheran Heritage Center is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will be closed Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, Nov. 25), Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
“History tells us that the Christmas tree probably originated in Germany, we’re a German Lutheran heritage center and people love trees, trees of all kinds,” Grebing said. “Some people very elegantly decorated trees and others have very simple trees. We have some of each.”
All the Christmas trees on shown are artificial and the set up process occurs about a week prior to the display opening to the public.
“Last week was a buzz (with decorating),” Grebing said. “We had a group of people, probably a dozen to 20, in and out throughout the week.
No matter one’s decoration preference — elegant or simple — or something else, Grebing thinks visitors will find something unique that interests them.
“You’re going to find a tree that might speak to you,” she said. “It’s just a wide variety of Christmas (decorations).
