In North America there is a long standing tradition of placing little villages of little houses at the foot of the Christmas trees.
The origins of the practice are unclear although the general consensus appears
to be that Christmas villages began as over-elaborate additions to a tradition
Nativity scene.
This practice was probably taken to North America by the Moravians who
emigrated from Germany to the United States in 1741, and established the town
of Bethlehem in Pennsylvania.
The Moravian tradition involves adding to the Nativity dozens, sometimes more,
of handmade figures, houses, waterfalls, bridges, churches creating a winter
wonderland.
Then in the early 20th century Sets of small buildings began to be commercially
produced.
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