As darkness descends during the winter months across Britain, a particular German Christmas decoration has been steadily gaining popularity in homes and churches, bringing with it nearly two centuries of tradition. The Moravian star, with its distinctive geometric form and soft glow, has illuminated the festive season for more than 180 years.
A Symbol of Faith with a Refugee History
The profound symbolism of these stars is rooted deeply in Christian tradition. Katja Ruppert, managing director of the Herrnhuter Sterne manufacturing company, explains their significance: "It's the symbol of the Star of Bethlehem, which guided the three wise men to the Christ Child in the manger."
This iconic decoration originates from the small eastern German village of Herrnhut. The village itself has a remarkable history, founded by refugees. In 1722, members of the Moravian Church, one of the world's oldest Protestant denominations, sought asylum after fleeing persecution from the historical provinces of Bohemia and Moravia, areas now part of the Czech Republic.
They were granted protection by Count Nikolaus von Zinzendorf, who provided them with land. There, they established Herrnhut, a name that translates roughly to "Under the Protection of the Lord."
From Geometry Lesson to Global Phenomenon
The creation of the star itself was something of an accident, born from education. The Moravian Church placed a strong emphasis on schooling, and at one of their founded institutions, a maths teacher devised a unique task. He asked students to create a complex geometric shape—a "truncated cuboctahedron with 17 four-corner based points and eight three-corner based points."
That initial cardboard model from a geometry lesson would become the blueprint for the modern Moravian star. The design was later patented in 1925, with a clever system that allowed the points to be dismantled for shipping and easily clamped together again.
Today, the stars are crafted in a vast array of sizes and colours. The smallest star has a diameter of 8 centimetres (3.14 inches) and sells from €19 (approximately £16), while the largest standard model measures 130 centimetres and costs €205. For special orders, the company creates stars measuring up to an impressive 250 cm.
Evolution and Enduring Popularity
Originally, the points of the Moravian star were white and red, symbolising both "purity and the blood of Jesus Christ," as Ruppert clarified. As production expanded, so did the colour palette. The stars are now made from paper or plastic and come in monochrome, varicoloured, or unique patterns, including "literary stars" crafted from the pages of old books.
For those who wish to enjoy their beauty year-round, there are even stars with floral spring motifs. The company's popularity continues to surge. Ruppert explained how in the past 20 years, the star's appeal has widened significantly across Germany, with attendance at Christmas markets and trade fairs boosting their profile.
Nowadays, about 230 employees produce more than 820,000 stars every year. The company's showroom and workshop in Herrnhut attract over 60,000 annual visitors, predominantly in the weeks leading up to Christmas. While not yet extensively exported, other Moravian Church communities, such as those in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and Christiansfeld, Denmark, also feature the star as a central symbol of their faith during Advent.
The tradition is also kept alive by locals like Silk Schmidt, a hairdresser from southeastern Saxony, who visited Herrnhut in mid-November to craft stars as Christmas gifts. "I myself have at least ten stars at home," she said, adding that she displays them on the first weekend of Advent. "When it's so dark outside and not nice anymore, then the stars hang in the window, which is actually really beautiful. Lights everywhere."
