Meet the Belsnickel: A Wild Pennsylvania Dutch Christmas Tradition! Forget the jolly Santa Claus—Pennsylvania German folklore brings us the Belsnickel, a shaggy, fearsome figure who’s part Christmas cheer and part moral compass!

Draped in tattered clothes and fur, adorned with deer antlers and foliage, the Belsnickel embodies the untamed spirit of the season. With birch switches in one hand and a sack of treats in the other, he’s here to reward the good and remind the naughty of their missteps.

The drama begins weeks before Christmas, as the Belsnickel taps on windows, building suspense before his grand entrance. He storms in with a booming voice, grilling kids on their good deeds—and they better have answers!

This Pennsylvania Dutch tradition, rooted in German folklore, blends Old World customs with a uniquely American twist. It’s a fascinating reminder that the holidays weren’t always about merriment—they were also about lessons and accountability.

Are you brave enough to face the Belsnickel? Tap the link to dive into this captivating piece of holiday history! Learn more at UnchartedLancaster.com.

Learn about other unique people and places like this when you step off the beaten path with Uncharted Lancaster: Field Guide to the Strange, Storied, and Hidden Places of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania by Adam Zurn. This one-of-a-kind 239-page guidebook uncovers 56 fascinating sites, from the county’s very own fountain of youth to the oldest continuously operating short-line railroad in the western hemisphere. Order your copy here.

It’s the autumn of 1880 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. A young businessman has recently opened a store and quickly found success by offering high-quality goods at low prices. The store has become a popular destination for traveling salesmen.

One morning, a young traveling salesman from Germany enters the store and shows his goods to the proprietor, who isn’t impressed. “What purpose do they serve?” he asks. “They’re literally useless.” Still, the businessman decides to take a chance. He tells the salesman, “I’ll take one box, but only if they can be sold on a sale-or-return basis.”

The box is put on display, and within an hour, every item sells out. What were these products, and who was the man behind this moment of retail history? The man was F. W. Woolworth, and the products were Christmas tree ornaments.

Although ornaments had been sold before, they were often expensive and inaccessible to most people. Woolworth changed that by making them affordable, transforming how Christmas trees were decorated. Without Frank W. Woolworth, our holiday trees might still be bare. Click the link to read more.

Lancaster's Bathtub Revolution: How America’s First Tub Made a Splash

Did you know Lancaster, PA, was home to America’s first bathtub? In 1839, Jacob Demuth installed this trailblazing tub at 116 East King Street, marking the start of a hygiene revolution. Crafted from heavy wood and reinforced with iron bands, the tub resembled a modern bathtub in shape but was filled the old-fashioned way—with water heated in a tea kettle and poured by hand.

At the time, bathing was a luxury, and the city charged a $3 annual fee for each tub’s water supply—about $102 in today’s money. By year’s end, Lancaster boasted a grand total of nine bathtubs. Scandalous, right?

While Lancaster’s records don’t mention anti-bathing laws, other cities weren’t as open-minded. Philadelphia banned more than one bath a week, and Boston fined offenders for "excessive" cleanliness. Imagine being hauled into court for simply taking a bath!

Though the Demuth tub was retired in 1890, its impact on hygiene practices lives on. It may not have survived to the present day, but Lancaster’s role in this small yet vital revolution is undeniable.

Curious to learn more about the quirks, controversies, and mysteries of the Demuth bathtub? To learn more, visit UnchartedLancaster.com.

Learn about other unique people and places like this when you step off the beaten path with Uncharted Lancaster: Field Guide to the Strange, Storied, and Hidden Places of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania by Adam Zurn. This one-of-a-kind 239-page guidebook uncovers 56 fascinating sites, from the county’s very own fountain of youth to the oldest continuously operating short-line railroad in the western hemisphere. Order your copy here.