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Bethlehem as “Christmas City USA”

In 1937, The Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce initiated a nationwide letter-writing campaign to 2,500 Chambers of Commerce, inviting them to promote Bethlehem, Pennsylvania as “the Christmas City” in their local newspapers. The suggestion was that people across the country send their Christmas cards to Bethlehem to receive the distinctive “Christmas City” cancellation. Overwhelmingly, the Chambers participated, and more than 185,000 pieces of mail inundated the Bethlehem Post Office. 

​In the 1960s, the Citizens’ Christmas City Committee was established with the goal of enhancing the Christmas experience in Bethlehem while sharing some of the associated costs. The Committee continues to fundraise annually to support initiatives that highlight Bethlehem as “Christmas City USA.”

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Douglas Benedict Photography, LLC

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