A Tale of Two Christmases: Holiday Traditions in Germany and Austria
Close your eyes and picture the quintessential Christmas scene. For many, images of evergreen trees glittering with baubles, houses trimmed in tiny white lights, and stockings hung with care likely come to mind. Carols ringing through the brisk air, the spiced scent of gingerbread baking, and perhaps even visions of sugar plums dance through imaginations.
Yet Christmas unfolds quite differently depending on where you call home. And for those with German or Austrian roots, it’s a magical season filled with beloved traditions centuries in the making. From outdoor markets aglow with the Christmas spirit to quaint mountain villages that look like they leaped off a holiday postcard, Christmas in Deutschland buzzes with enchantment.
Preparations Underway After St. Martin’s Day
While Christmas décor springs up the day after Thanksgiving back in the States, Germans and Austrians embrace a slightly more gradual lead-up. The holiday season officially commences on St. Martin’s Day, November 11th. On this evening, children walk the streets carrying handmade paper lanterns as neighbors gather to welcome the coming weeks of winter traditions and cheer.
The following Sunday, the first advent wreath candle gets lit over Sunday dinner, counting down the four weeks leading up to Christmas Eve. Each week another candle joins the first amid folk songs and festive sweets.
Before long, the outdoor Christmas markets unique to Germany and Austria raise their wooden gates, signaling the start of magical Weihnachtsmarkts filled with nostalgic treasures and Yuletide indulgences. As December dawns, snow-capped Alpine landscapes provide an even more glorious backdrop for getting into the Christmas spirit Austrian style.
From Krampus to Angels: Beloved Christmas Characters
While American kids know all about Santa and his trusty elves, children in Deutschland and Österreich grow up enchanted by an entirely different cast of Christmas characters.
On December 5th, Germans set boots out by the door for St. Nicholas to fill with tiny gifts and treats overnight. But far from the jolly man in red, their Nikolaus dons bishop robes and a towering miter hat as he goes about his gift-giving accompanied not by helpful elves but the devilish Krampus.
This fearsome horned creature recalls a sinister goat demon from ages past who unleashes his wrath upon naughty children. So while good German girls and boys were awake to candy, fruit, and small toys, the ill-behaved find onlycharcoal or sticks left behind by Krampus as a frightening reminder to mend their ways.
Just as American kids line up to sit on Santa’s lap and relay their wish lists, young ones in Germany and Austria share their hopes and dreams with Christkindl, or “Christ Child.” Often the oldest daughter of the family dresses up as this angelic being with golden curls and a sparkling crown to hear Christmas wishes.
So between St. Nicholas, Krampus, and Christkindl, children certainly have no shortage of mystique and magic surrounding the countdown to Christmas!
The Sweet Smell of Christmas
Can you imagine Christmas without thenostalgic scents wafting through home during the holidays? From freshly-cut pine needles accenting banisters to cinnamon potpourri nestled in festive bowls, aromas have a way ofkindling treasured memories. Smells conjure up cozy scenes of chestnuts roasting or whip cream sweetening peppermint hot cocoa.
But for those celebrating Weihnachten, the delicious fragrances of holiday baking hold the key to theirChristmastime sentimentality. And Germans have practically raised cookie-baking to anartform! They bake up dozens of varieties from thin lebkuchen embossed with charming scenes to spritz cookies piped through intricate presses. You’ll find vanilla kipferl, jam thumbprints, chocolate coconut macaroons, rich florentiner lace cookies, and hazelnutty mazzeralla stacked up on vintage plates.
Other old-world specialties include stollen studded with candied fruit, dense leckerkuchen bars sticky with honey, intricate springerle flavored with anise, and perfumed pfeffernuse kissed with exotic spices. Through the month of December, homes fill with the nostalgia-inducing scents of German confections baking in the oven.
The Austrians can give their German counterparts a run for their money when it comes to Christmas sweets as well. Buying boxes of holiday treats at the supermarkt simply won’t cut it for Austrian Omas passing down generations of recipes.
Tender zimtsterne get their flavor from a dash of cinnamon while crisp muzsterne bring a doubly nutty component with ground hazelnuts or almonds stirred right into the dough. They coat vanilla kipferl cookies in velvety chocolate ganache or candied nuts. And the melt-in-your mouth goodness of chocolate-smothered kokosbusserl translates to “little coconut kisses.”
From chewy gingerbread sweetened with honey to the elegant linzer tart featuring raspberry jam tucked between a lattice crust, it becomes abundantly clear both countries take their Christmas baking very seriously!
The Charm of Christmas Markets
Perhaps nothing captures the essence of the season quite like the traditional German Christkindlmarkt. You can’t walk more than a few city blocks without stumbling across a festive open-air market brimming with holiday ambience.
As early as late November, elaborate wooden stalls border town squares across the country. The irresistible aromas of roasting chestnuts and cinnamon-laced pastries instantly kindle sentiments of nostalgia. Locals and tourists alike meander the lanes illuminated by twinkling lights as vendors peddle their seasonal wares.
You’ll discover handmade wooden ornaments, nutcrackers, smokers, and intricately carved pyramids reminiscent of past centuries. Adults stay plenty warm with a mug of gühwein—hot mulled wine redolent of citrus and spice—as periodic snow flurries flutter to the ground.
Little ones cherish gingerbread hearts, foil-wrapped St. Nicholas chocolates, lamb’s wool stuffed toys, and nostalgic goodies by the bagful. Carolers croon beloved songs, often clad in traditional dirndls and lederhosen adding regional flair. Dazzling light displays and evergreen boughs complete the German Christmas magic.
Across the Austrian border, their markets exude even more rustic charm and Alpine beauty. Set against stunning backdrops of snowcapped peaks and meandering canals, Salzburg, Vienna, and Innsbruck attract visitors by the masses. Shops bring in unique handicrafts made by local artisans while food stalls sizzle with langos flatbread, sugary kurtoskalacs chimney cakes, or hearty brezlknodel soup dumplings.
No one can resist a mug of eierpunsch—eggs, sugar, and liquor whipped into a quintessential Austrian winter warmer. Spend an evening browsing for stein figurines, wooden toys, or delicate blown glass ornaments as glowing lanterns cast a warm, welcoming glow. The stunning surroundingscoupled with the lively scheens of crafts, snacks, and colorful characters makes for ahaltlos festive atmosphere.
The Anticipation and Excitement of Heiliger Abend
As alluring as the markets and sweets prove to be, Christmas Eve and the grand celebrations hold the true magic in German and Austrian culture. While American families usually gather to partake in a lavish dinner before tucking into bed for Santa’s arrival sometime around midnight, things unfold much differently across the Atlantic.
Most people start Heiliger Abend, or Christmas Eve, by attending morning church services. But rather than rest and relaxation setting in for the afternoon, a flurry of activity ensues to finish up last-minute baking, present wrapping, and home decorating before the big event.
As evening sets in, glowing luminaries light the walkways guiding families carrying trays of scrumptious confections to one another’s homes for a progressive feast. At each house, the visitors share traditional Yule treats they prepared while the hosts reveal their holiday spread of dishes like carp, potato salad, or fondue. Guests linger for sweets, snacks and sips of holiday liqueurs as carols play and candles flicker late into the night. Laughter and fellowship take center stage rather than formal sit-down affairs.
Only once children have written wish lists for Christkindl and set out plates of cookies for dimpled Weinachtsmann do parents permit them to select a single gift to open on Christmas Eve once guests depart. Families then attend more late night services together bathed in flickering candles before returning home once more.
Now, the most exciting moment finally arrives...present distribution beneath the glowing Tannenbaum! Parents play Santa—in some regions after donning playful masks and disguises—to conceal their identities as they hand out thoughtfully chosen gifts for each family member. Heartfelt gift exchanges last for hours fuelled by smiling faces, thankful hugs, sentimental reflections and plenty of Christmas nibbles.
When the last gifts get unwrapped in the wee hours of morning, some parents surprise little ones with an ornament or candy-filled orange tucked in the upper branches. Tired but filled with joy, families then retire to bed excited for more intimate gatherings on Christmas day sharing in beloved traditions generations in the making.
The Most Wonderful Time of Year Indeed
From enchanting Alpine views dusted with powdery snow to the intoxicating scents of holiday sweets lingering through the crisp air at outdoor markets, Germany and Austria truly transform into winter wonderlands.
The weeks swell with excitement, from St.