Christmas Eve is a special day in most countries all over the world, no matter if they share the faith or not – Germany is no different. Today, we’ll go over how Germany celebrates Christmas Eve. Let’s take a look!
Christmas Eve
Germans do celebrate Christmas Eve – they call it Heiligabend. Though traditions vary slightly from region to region, the main gist of the event is relatively standard: families come together for a Christmas dinner and exchange gifts afterwards. Some families fast before dinner, symbolising the anticipation of the birth of Jesus or just because they want to fit more later. Though it’s not formally a public German holiday, most employers give their workers at least part of the day off. 25th and 26th of December are formal days-off. Germany is also well renowned for their Christmas Markets.
Heiligabend
The evening begins with a family meal, often consisting of fish soup, carp and potato salad. It may just be a dinner and a fun time with loved ones or it may also involve singing carols and what not. The dinner is followed by Bescherung, meaning the exchange of gifts. Contrary to other countries, Germany opens their presents at the end of the Christmas Eve day. Christians may also visit the church for a midnight mass later.
In some regions, especially in southern Germany, Christmas processions, known as ‘Krippenspiele’, are also popular. They are traditional performances that depict the story of the birth of Jesus. It’s commonly a show where children get to act too.
Do Germans have Christmas trees?
Of course, yes. It’s a very important tradition in Germany, with many Germans putting up real trees in their households. These are then decorated with various baubles, lights, candies, nuts and other decorations.
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