The Moravian towns in Wachovia all celebrated the day in various ways, which included church services, lovefeasts, prayers, instrumental music, hymns of thanksgiving, and ringing of bells.
Salem had the most extensive celebration and the Salem Diary for Friday, July 4, 1783, described it well. In part it says:
According to the order of the government of this State we celebrated a day of thanksgiving for the restoration of peace. The congregation was awakened by the trombonists. At the beginning of the preaching service the Te Deum was sung… At two o’clock there was a happy Lovefeast, during which a Psalm of Joy was sung with thankful hearts…In the evening…the congregation again assembled in the Saal, and the choir sang…
Then the congregation formed a circle in front of the GemeinHaus, and from there passed in procession through the main street of town, with music and the antiphonal song of two choirs…Hearts were filled with the peace of God, evident during the entire day and especially during the procession, and all around there was silence, even the wind being still.
