Moravian Lovefeast

The Moravian Love Feast is a long-standing Christian worship tradition at Queens University, providing an opportunity to celebrate the Advent season leading up to Christmas.

The Moravian Lovefeast Tradition

The early Christians met and broke bread together to signify their union, fellowship and love. These acts were called ‘feasts of love’, from the Greek word ‘Agape’, which refers to the highest type of spiritual love. This practice, however, was forgotten over time. The lovefeast of Apostolic times was revived by the Moravian Church in 1727. Congregants who had received Holy Communion were reluctant to go home, so Count Zinzendorf, early leader within the Moravian tradition, sent food so that they might continue in their worship.

Since then, the Moravian Church established the custom of celebrating church festivals by partaking in a simple ‘love feast’ meal. The first love feasts of the Moravian Church in North America were held in Savannah, Georgia during the years 1735 and 1740. The first love feast in North Carolina took place November 17, 1753, at Bethabara and Salem in 1771. In North Carolina, the candles were used for the first time in the children’s love feast in 1762.

December 3, 2023
7:00 p.m.
Belk Chapel

More Information

For more information about the 2023 Moravian Lovefeast at Belk Chapel, including event registration, visit our registration webpage. Coming soon!