It's Christmas Time! Merry Christmas from Henry & Hugo - Dogs Vlog #dogs #christmas #vlog
Christmas time in Germany is one of the most precious times of the year. Not only for Germans but also for expats and tourists alike. We will let you in on how Germans celebrate Christmas, what really happens during the advent season, and why Christmas without Christmas markets is not considered Christmas.
How Is Christmas Celebrated In Germany?
Christmas in Germany is called Weihnachten, and it is a three day holiday. The main celebration is on Christmas Eve (Heiligabend), December 24th. Shops and offices are usually open until noon (unless it is a Sunday), and then everything closes up for a mainly silent and quiet time spent with family.
German Christmas traditions have families put up and decorate the Christmas tree (Weihnachtsbaum) on December 24th, although nowadays, many families already get their tree some days in advance to enjoy it longer.
Germany has about 41 million households, and in 2019 almost 30 million homes had their own Christmas tree. That shows that a whopping 73% of German homes have their own Christmas tree, which is always a real tree (only 22% put up a fake tree) and decorated with classic color-matching decorations and white lights. Traditionally, German Christmas trees are decorated with wooden ornaments and real candles.
Germans usually keep their Christmas tree up until January 6th, the day of the Three Wise Men (die Heiligen Drei Könige). In order to get rid of the by now dried up Christmas tree, they put it out on their sidewalk the night before the official Christmas tree pickup. Yes, you have read that right and if you are curious for more, take a look at our German Trash Guide.
Some families (29% of Germans) go to church in the afternoon of the 24th for a special Christmas mass (Christmette). In Germany, Christmas gifts are placed underneath the Christmas tree and opened on the 24th in the evening. Traditionally, Christmas gifts are brought by the Christkind (child of Christ). Santa Claus also exists in Germany and is simply called the Christmas man (Weihnachtsmann).
Usually, before or after unwrapping Christmas gifts, German families gather around the Christmas tree, wish each other Merry Christmas (Frohe Weihnachten), and sing traditional German Christmas songs, such as ‘O Tannenbaum’, ‘Stille Nacht’, and ‘Kling Glöckchen’. This tradition disappears more and more, as only 14% of German families still sing Christmas carols.
Germans love a traditional Christmas dinner on December 24th with potato salad and sausage, duck, or goose, forming the top 3 dishes.
December 25th and 26th are official holidays called First and Second Christmas Day (Erster und Zweiter Weihnachtstag). These days, Germans usually visit other parts of the family or dine out.
What Is The Advent Season In Germany?
Christmas time in Germany officially starts already at the beginning of December with the Adventszeit. The advent season marks the four Sundays in December. Traditionally, every home has a decorative advent wreath (Adventskranz) with four candles. On the first advent, the first Sunday, one candle gets litten. On the second advent, the second Sunday, a second candle gets lit, and so on. On Christmas itself, all four candles are giving light.
For children (and some adults as well 😉 ), the advent season resembles a countdown to Christmas, sweetened with an advent calendar (Adventskalender). A typical advent calendar is made of cardboard with 24 small numbered ‘doors’ (Türchen) marking each day in December until Christmas Eve (December 24th). Behind each door is a drawing, saying, or small Christmassy picture. Every morning the kids run to their advent calendar eager to discover what is behind the next door.
Nowadays, there are tons of variations of advent calendars, a favorite being with chocolate.
My sister and I had a medieval castle village made out of cardboard. Underneath each house, my mum either hid a little treat or a piece of paper with instructions to search the house for the treat. That was fun!
Among the favorite German Christmas foods during the advent season are homemade Christmas cookies (Plätzchen), Stollen, the oldest known German Christmas sweet/cake, and gingerbread (Lebkuchen).
During the advent season, a lot of traditional activities and decorations take place. Germans put up wooden nutcrackers (Nußknacker), Christmas pyramids (Weihnachtspyramiden) that spin when its candles are lit, and of course, the famous Christmas tree (Weihnachtsbaum).
#merrychristmas #christmastime #weihnachten