The Christmas holiday has always been a special time of the year in Lititz. But as the community has evolved over the centuries, the way the holiday season has been observed and celebrated has changed.

The Lititz Historical Foundation will explore that evolution with its annual Christmas Candlelight Tour. From a marketing standpoint, the tour represents just another example of how the foundation creatively raises money through and for promoting local history.

The Christmas Candlelight Tour will be presented on Friday, Dec. 8, and Saturday, Dec. 9, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the 1792 Johannes Mueller House, 127-139 Main St., Lititz. There is a cost involved, and reservations are recommended.

"We're sharing history and Moravian customs around the holidays," said Cory Van Brookhoven, president of the Lititz Historical Foundation. "We explain how they celebrated Christmas, what their church services were like, what they ate. You had to be a Moravian to live here between 1756 and 1855."

"The Moravians were very peaceful people," continued Van Brookhoven. "They didn't believe in war or fighting. They went to church. Back then, families were close, and gifts were handmade and modest."

The tours will start every 15 minutes, and each will last 40 minutes. The five tour guides, who are retired educators and re-enactors, will remain stationary and positioned at different locations on the first floor of the 1792 Johannes Mueller House - the kitchen, the parlor, the bedroom, the spinning room and the workshop.

Each guide will relate a five- to eight-minute presentation on the holiday customs and history of the Moravians and the Johannes Mueller House.

Following the tour, refreshments will be available, and ticketholders can receive discounts at the Lititz Historical Foundation gift shop.

"We call it a Candlelight Tour because there are candles in the windows and it's at night," said Van Brookhoven. "It's dimly lit. It creates a certain atmosphere."

"There are a lot of events going on in Lititz around the holidays," Van Brookhoven added. "A lot of the buildings are decorated. They put really cool stars up on the posts. Lititz is rich in history, and some of its Christmas traditions are very unique. Lititz is always busy, but I'd say it's even more busy over the holidays."

The Lititz Historical Foundation has been conducting its Christmas Candlelight Tours for 12 years now. The event is one of five fundraising tours that the nonprofit presents throughout the year.

"People are always looking for something to do around the holidays," said Van Brookhoven. "It's an attractive tour. There's a lot to see, and it's nice for families."

"It's been successful," he added. "This year we added a second day. The goal isn't necessarily to sell out. We're not motivated by money. We want to share the history of Lititz."

For more information about the Christmas Candlelight Tour or to reserve a spot, go to https://bit.ly/CandlelightChristmasTour.