Cambria County, nestled in the rolling hills of central Pennsylvania, is best known for its industrial heritage, the tragic Johnstown Flood of 1889, and its resilient communities like Johnstown and Ebensburg. Yet, beneath this rugged exterior lies a surprisingly vibrant Christmas legacy shaped by waves of European immigrants, coal miners, and steelworkers. Far from the glitz of big-city holidays, Cambria's Christmas traditions are intimate, historical, and deeply rooted in local lore. Here are some lesser-known facts that reveal why this corner of the Keystone State glows with unique holiday magic—details even locals might not all know.

Immigrant Roots Fuel Festive Feasts
Cambria County's early 20th-century influx of Polish, Slovak, Italian, and Welsh immigrants brought customs that endure today. In Johnstown's Minersville neighborhood, families still observe Wigilia, the traditional Polish Christmas Eve supper with 12 meatless dishes symbolizing the apostles. What few realize is that in 1922, the local Polish Falcons' Sokol Hall hosted the county's first public Wigilia for 1,500 miners, funded by Cambria Iron Company bonuses—a Depression-era lifeline that prevented starvation during strikes.

The Flood Memorial's Secret Light Show
The Johnstown Flood National Memorial isn't just a somber site; since 1996, it has transformed into a dazzling "Festival of Lights" drive-through display with over 50 animated scenes, drawing 20,000 visitors annually. An obscure twist: the event honors the 1889 flood victims with a special "Remembrance Tree" lit on December 6, St. Nicholas Day, using energy-efficient LEDs powered by the memorial's historic powerhouse—blending tragedy with twinkling triumph.

Ebensburg's Courthouse Christmas Spectacle
Ebensburg, the county seat, boasts the "Oldest Continuously Lit Courthouse Tree" in Pennsylvania, a tradition dating to 1872 when German settlers adorned the clock tower with candles. Today, it's a 40-foot Norway spruce topped by a hand-carved wooden star from 1890. Lesser-known: during World War II, local POWs from Camp Cambria helped string the lights as part of a morale-boosting program, a fact etched into a hidden plaque on the tree base.

Loretto's Franciscan Nativity Marvel
At Saint Francis University in Loretto, the Creighton Chapel houses one of the largest hand-carved wooden nativity sets in the U.S., imported from Italy in 1954 by Franciscan friars. But the real secret? It's illuminated only during Advent by beeswax candles made from local apiaries, following a 13th-century rule of St. Francis of Assisi. In 1962, during a snowstorm, the chapel's midnight Mass drew 2,000 pilgrims stranded on the "Snow Shoe Curve" railroad—now a legendary tale whispered among alumni.

Johnstown's Inclined Plane Wonderland
The Johnstown Inclined Plane, a National Historic Landmark and the world's steepest vehicular incline, becomes a holiday hotspot with trolley cars decked in wreaths pulling "Santa Express" rides since 1984. Obscure fact: in 1905, during a record snowfall, the plane rescued 300 Christmas Eve stragglers from stranded trains, earning it the nickname "Holly Funicular" in local papers—an event commemorated with a brass plaque visible only to riders.

Coal Town Carolers and Company Gifts
Cambria's coal patches like Colver and Revloc were epicenters of "Star Caroling," where children in tinsel crowns sang Welsh Plygain carols at dawn on Christmas morning—a custom from 1880s immigrant miners. Unbeknownst to many, the Gallitzin Coal Company distributed "Santa Boxes" in 1918 containing coal-scuttle toys handmade by injured veterans, kickstarting a tradition that fed 5,000 families through the 1930s Great Depression.

Cresson's Sanitarium Holiday Legacy
Once home to the Cresson Tuberculosis Sanitarium (closed 1964), the area now hosts the "Tuberculosis Orphans' Christmas" reenactment at the Historical Society. In 1920, wealthy Pittsburgh philanthropists airlifted toys via early biplanes to 400 child patients—America's first documented holiday air drop, predating modern Santas by decades. Artifacts, including a 1921 teddy bear, are displayed annually in a glass case few tourists spot.

Underground Christmas in the Mines
During the 1944 Knox Mine Disaster recovery (nearby but tied to Cambria workers), miners uncovered a 1920s "Christmas Cache" deep in the tunnels: forgotten crates of Bethlehem Steel ornaments and moonshine-stuffed stockings for underground holiday parties. These are now exhibited at the Johnstown Area Heritage Association, revealing how "elves in hard hats" celebrated amid danger.

Modern Twists on Ancient Customs
Today, the Cambria County Arts Center in Johnstown runs the "Festival of Trees" since 1985, featuring 100 designer trees auctioned for charity. A hidden gem: the 2010 winning tree was a "Miner's Manger," adorned with coal-lump lights and pickaxe angels, symbolizing the county's blue-collar spirit. Meanwhile, Portage's annual "World's Largest Cookie Swap" traces to a 1937 Swedish immigrant recipe, swapping 10,000 cookies yearly—Pennsylvania's biggest.

These facts paint Cambria County not as a holiday afterthought, but as a treasure trove of resilient, heartfelt Christmas stories. From immigrant feasts to flood-lit memorials, its celebrations remind us that the best Yuletide magic often hides in the hills.

Sources and Further Reading
- Get More at Cambria Buzz
- Johnstown Flood National Memorial: nps.gov/jofl
- Cambria County Arts Center Festival of Trees: cambriacountyarts.org
- Johnstown Area Heritage Association: jahaa.org
- Ebensburg Historical Society: ebensburgpa.com/history
- Saint Francis University Archives: francis.edu/archives
- Cambria County Tourism: visitcambriacounty.org
- Local history from "Johnstown: A History" by Richard Burkert (local library excerpts via Google Books)

For more, explore local newspapers like the Tribune-Democrat archives at tribdem.com.