The Little Town Under the Star

Even though inventories in local stores are beginning to dwindle as holiday shoppers rush about checking items off of their gift shopping lists, small children across the nation are flipping through the pages of the latest big toy catalog for inspiration for their upcoming visit with Santa at the mall, and glorious twinkling lights are lining the houses and streets of small town America — the story at the heart of the Christmas season is still top of mind for many.

From parents extolling the tale of Mary and Joseph to their children before bedtime to local churches reenacting that holy night with a live nativity — for many Georgia families, it’s not lost on them that that very special evening so long ago truly is “the reason for the season”. Needless to say, nowhere is this statement truer than perhaps the little town of Bethlehem, Ga.

Sharing its name with the original Palestinian town of Bethlehem that rests on the West Bank of the Jordan River, the sacred site depicted as the birthplace of Jesus Christ in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew within the pages of the New Testament, it’s apparent that the Georgia representation takes its moniker very seriously. Boasting streets named Holly Lane, Mary Avenue, east and west Star streets, Christmas Avenue, Joseph Street and Manger Avenue, the townspeople aren’t the only folks who look to this small Southern town for its unique Christmas significance. Hundreds of people bring their holiday cards to each year in order to receive the Bethlehem cancellation or obtain the “Greetings from Bethlehem” stamp on their outgoing mail.

Did you know that Bethlehem, Ga., is not the only town in the United States that shares its name with Jesus’ famed birthplace in the Middle East? There are 18 other municipalities named Bethlehem in states all across the nation, including Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia.

Do you have the scoop on the latest news, events and happenings straight from the streets of Bethlehem or Carl? Tell us in comments.

Check back every Tuesday for a new City Spotlight on one of two great small towns in Barrow County – Bethlehem and Carl.