Christmas Eve 2024 in Germany

Christmas Eve (Heiliger Abend) is celebrated in Germany on December 24. It is the last day of Advent and the start of the Christmas season. Many people spend the afternoon and evening decorating Christmas trees, attending church services, eating traditional dishes and opening Christmas presents.

Is Christmas Eve a Public Holiday?

Christmas Eve is traditionally a partial non-working day. Many employers give their workers at least part of the day off. Expect reduced opening hours. Banks and government offices are usually closed for the whole day.

It is also categorized as a silent day (stiller Tag) in all or part of Germany. In some states, special restrictions may apply for certain types of activities, such as concerts or dance events.

What Do People Do?

Many people travel to spend the late afternoon and evening with family members on Christmas Eve. Many people decorate a Christmas tree and some attend midnight mass. Midnight mass is a church service that traditionally starts late in the evening but now often starts earlier in the evening to allow whole families to attend.

Later in the evening, many families open their Christmas presents that were placed under the Christmas tree. In many Protestant families, children are told that Father Christmas or Santa Claus brought the presents. In many Catholic families, they are told that the Christ Child gave the presents. A traditional Christmas Eve meal consists of carp (a type of fish), potato salad, boiled potatoes, cucumber salad and lemon slices.

Background

The run up to Christmas in Germany starts four Sundays before December 25 and is known as Advent. Many families prepare an Advent wreath with four candles and seasonal greenery. One candle is lit on the first Sunday of Advent, two on the second Sunday, three on the third Sunday and then four on the fourth Sunday. Many Christmas markets are held during this time and many town centers feature special Christmas lights and other decorations.

Children are given Advent calendars prior to Christmas. These are usually made of thick paper and display a seasonal scene with 24 doors. Each day, starting on December 1, children open one door to discover a picture behind each one. Modern versions have candy or a small toy behind each door. In the town of Gengenbach, Baden-Württemberg, the town hall has 24 windows and is turned into a giant advent calendar each year.

About Christmas Eve in Other Countries

While we diligently research and update our holiday dates, some of the information in the table above may be preliminary. If you find an error, please let us know.