Find Your Belsnickle Christmas Tour

By: Eric Kazda

It is hard to imagine the cold temperatures of December, but Christmas will be here before we know it. This year we are proud to announce that our bed & breakfast will be participating in Authentic Bed & Breakfasts of Lancaster County’s 4th annual Find Your Belsnickle Christmas Tour.

Who is Belsnickle? According to Pennsylvania-Dutch folklore, Belsnickle would visit children for nearly two weeks, starting the week before Christmas and continuing until New Years. But, Belsnickle was definitely not Santa Claus. He was an ugly character that frightened children when he traveled from house to house brandishing his switches.

For the naughty children Belsnickle would whip them with his switches, while good children received cake and candles. Belsnickle would throw the “gifts” the floor, and if a child would pick up the gifts in front of Belsnickle they would receive a sharp whack on the backside with a whip.

By the early 20th century, this tradition transformed from a single Belsnickle to a group of Belsnicklers, no longer carrying whips. Similar to today’s trick-or-treaters, the group would travel from farm to farm, invited in, then once they unmasked, the hosts would give them donuts, molasses cakes and coffee. The rowdy merriment would begin after dark and end before midnight.

In celebration of this unique Pennsylvania-Dutch tradition, beginning Saturday, December 1st and continuing through Sunday December 2nd, over 15 romantic Lancaster County inns will be on display, beautifully decorated for the Christmas season and offering special treats to tour guests.

Tour attendees will receive a ticket asking them to watch out for the Belsnickle. They will have an opportunity to discover Belsnickles to be entered into a drawing valued at $325.00. Included in the ticket price is the opportunity to visit over 15 decorated bed & breakfasts,collect cookie recipes at each inn and a voucher to the Choo Choo Barn.

All proceeds will benefit a popular children’s charity and their vision to grant the wish of every child diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition. In the United States and its territories, on average, a wish is granted every 37 minutes. They believe a wish experience can be a game-changer. This one belief guides them and inspires them to grant wishes that change the lives of the kids they serve.

Find Your Belsnickle Christmas Tour tickets are available online (click here )

For more information about the Find Your Belsnickle Christmas Tour,contact us or to purchase your tickets, click here and we will be happy to help you make the wish of a child come true this holiday season.