Christmas in Germany

Christmas in Germany falls on December 25 (with main celebration on December 24). For many families the celebration stretches across several days, with quieter moments at home alongside the busier public events.

Families light a candle on the Advent wreath each Sunday before Christmas. Children open windows on an Adventskalender from December 1. Cities host outdoor Weihnachtsmärkte selling crafts, ornaments and Glühwein. Many families decorate the tree on Christmas Eve afternoon and exchange gifts that evening, followed by a church service.

Christmas Eve dinner is often simple, such as potato salad with sausages. Christmas Day brings roast goose or duck with red cabbage and dumplings. Stollen, Lebkuchen and Spekulatius are baked through Advent.

Gifts are exchanged on the evening of December 24. Small children are told the Christkind brings the presents. In some regions Sankt Nikolaus also fills shoes left out on the night of December 5.

The festive figure most associated with Christmas in Germany is Christkind (in many regions) or Weihnachtsmann. Names, costumes and gift giving dates can vary from family to family and from region to region.

The Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt is one of the oldest Christmas markets in the world, with records going back to the 17th century.

For most families in Germany, Christmas is not a single day. It is a stretch of four to six weeks that starts in late November and runs into early January. Advent shapes the first half. Shops, streets and homes warm up gradually. By the time the main date of December 25 (with main celebration on December 24) arrives, the city has already been festive for a month.

The week between Christmas and the New Year is quieter than the build up. Many workplaces close. People visit older relatives, take long walks, eat the leftovers slowly and watch the same films they watched as children. Epiphany on January 6 closes the season in most Christian traditions.

• How early the season starts. Christmas lights in Germany usually appear in the second half of November, well before December begins.
• How small the gift exchange can feel compared with the food, the music and the time spent at the table. Christmas here is more about gathering than about unwrapping.
• How important Christkind (in many regions) or Weihnachtsmann is to the children, and how stories about the gift bringer differ from town to town and from family to family.
• That most shops close on the main holiday. Plan grocery runs a day in advance and you will avoid the only stressful part of the trip.

Christmas markets and main festive events usually run from late November to a few days before December 25. If you want the full atmosphere, aim for the first or second week of December. Book trains and intercity buses early. Prices on the busiest travel days can double.

Pack for the weather you would expect in late winter in this region, plus one warmer layer for evenings outside. Bring small gifts if you are staying with a family. A box of sweets from your own country always lands well.

For the rituals, dishes and gift bringers in other countries, browse our Christmas around the world hub or compare customs side by side in the Christmas Traditions Explorer.

Most households start the Christmas list in the first week of December: who is coming, who is cooking, who is travelling and on which day. Gift shopping is usually finished by the second or third weekend of December. The last week is for food, decoration and the small rituals that children remember more than the presents.

Our Christmas checklist works for this kind of season. If the budget is tight this year, the Christmas on a budget guide has ideas that fit most households.