Christmas in German-Speaking Europe

Select today’s date or any previous date in our special German Advent calendar below to see the Christmas Fact of the Day. Special days in December are indicated by a red number. Note: Our calendar begins on December 1.

NOTE to MOBILE PHONE USERS:
The calendar image below does not work with most cell phones. We hope to have a mobile version soon.

Learn more about Christmas (Weihnachten, VYE-NAHK-ten) in Austria, Germany and Switzerland via our special Advent calendar and the Christmas Fact of the Day. Clicking on a window of this Advent calendar reveals the Christmas fact for that day. During the four weeks of Advent you’ll learn 24 facts about the Christmas celebration in German-speaking Europe. You’ll discover how many of the Christmas customs in the English-speaking world (and elsewhere) have come from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. But there are also some customs that are still unique to Europe.

For more about Christmas in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland see the “Related Pages” links below.

CALENDAR IMAGE: A Berlin Schwibbogen
Photo by Chris Hinz McGinnis – Calendar design by Designers for the Arts

QUIZ: Advent and Christmas Quiz 1 – A 10-item self-scoring quiz related to Christmas traditions

Next | Christmas from A to Z

Related Pages
AT THE GERMAN WAY

• Christmas from A to Z – German Christmas traditions and terms
• Advent – The Latin word means “arrival.” This custom begins on the first Advent Sunday around December 1.
• Photo Gallery: Christmas in Germany – Berlin – A visual tour of Christmas markets and other December sights in Berlin
• Christmas in the USA and Germany– A comparison chart
• German Christmas Carols – Popular carols with lyrics in German and English
• Barbarazweig – The legend and the Christmas custom
• Epiphany and the Sternsinger – January 6 in the Germanic Christmas tradition
• Der Schwibbogen: The German Candle Arch – Yet another Germanic Christmas decorative tradition from Saxony
• Erntedank (“harvest thanksgiving”) or Erntedankfest in Germany and Austria is different from the American Thanksgiving tradition.
• St. Nicholas – The many German St. Nicks
• Thomas Nast created the modern Santa image.
• The Christmas Pickle Ornament – Fact or fiction?
• Silent Night (Stille Nacht) – Our “Silent Night” page has the true story and related links.
• Holidays and Celebrations in Austria, Germany and Switzerland
• Glass Ornaments – a history