Christmas traditions in Dresden are more than just celebrating on the big day.
It’s an entire season.
And there are Christmas traditions in Dresden that make this the most wonderful time of year.
Yes, even though the sky is grey and it’s cold and gloomy out!
With Christmas lights, trees, markets and wooden carved decorations, a Christmas visit to Dresden is well worth your time.
And that’s just what you’ll see!
Of course there’s a whole host of Christmas-only food and drinks to enjoy too.
This post is for you if you love Christmas and need to visit a dream Christmas location.
Or maybe you’re already here and you’re just not sure what the Christmas traditions in Dresden are.
And yes, many of these Christmas traditions in Dresden are common throughout Germany, but many differ region to region, too.
Planning a trip to Dresden? Why not check out my post “5 things you need to know before you visit Dresden” here?
Christmas in Dresden
Christmas in Dresden is contemplative and quiet.
It’s a time to be spent with family and friends.
By no means does this mean Dresdners lie low at this time of year. Quite the opposite! You’ll find their Advent Time completely booked up before it’s started.
The best word to describe a Saxon Christmas is, unsurprisingly, a German word: Gemütlich.
It means cozy but encompasses the feeling of being relaxed and at ease with loved ones.
The Advent Time
Sure we all have Advent calendars and enjoy our chocolate each day through December, but what IS Advent?
Starting four Sundays before Christmas, the Advent Time is a period of anticipation ahead of Christ’s arrival. So, Christmas.
The Advent Time in Dresden is a period of twinkling lights in windows, cozy coffee dates with friends and family, and cheeky mugs of Glühwein at the Christmas markets.
For Saxons, this is the most special time of year.
Christmas traditions in Dresden are etched deep into the psyche of locals and true pride is taken about the way Christmas is celebrated.
For many, this is the true way to mark Christmas and there is a feeling of near confusion that there are other ways to mark this holiday.
Imagine how locals feel about my usual Summer Christmas back home in Australia!
Important dates to remember during the Advent Time in 2024
- December 1: First Advent
- December 6: Nikolaus (more about this tradition below)
- December 7: Stollen Festival
- December 8: Second Advent:
- December 15: Third Advent:
- December 22: Fourth Advent
- December 24: Weihnachten (Christmas celebrations and presents exchanged)
- December 25: The first day after Christmas.
- December 26: The second day after Christmas.
How is the Advent Time marked?
While all families have their own traditions, there are a few Christmas traditions in Dresden that you’ll see in nearly every home throughout the Advent Time.
Advent Calendars
Nearly synonymous with Christmas around the world, Advent Calendars were originally devised to visually represent the remaining time until Christmas.
Still popular among adults and children alike, Advent Calendars are now available in all shapes, sizes and with all manner of treats within them.
Wreaths (Adventskreise)
Advent wreaths are something I had no knowledge of prior to meeting my German husband.
These wreaths are a table decoration featuring four red candles in a circle and one white candle in the center.
The candles are traditionally set among greenery, most commonly offcuts of a Christmas Tree.
Set up on the first Advent, only one red candle will be lit to mark the beginning of the Advent Time. Each Sunday thereafter, an additional red candle will be lit to represent the number of Advents that have already occurred.
On December 24, all four red candles and the white candle will be burnt.
Visits with friends and family
In Germany, it is typical on Sunday afternoon to meet with friends or family to enjoy a cup of coffee and a slice of cake.
The Advent Time is no exception!
During Advent, the social lives of Saxons really kicks into high gear.
Every Advent will likely be booked in advance (more than usual!) to ensure that all friends and family can be visited before Christmas.
These visits typically take place at people’s homes, surrounded by the stunning Christmas decorations and will include all of the delicious Christmas treats (more about those below).
Christmas Markets
No discussion of the Advent Time in Germany would be complete without a mention of Christmas Markets.
These are a cornerstone of Christmas celebrations and are perhaps one of the most visible aspects of a German Christmas.
Did you know that the oldest Christmas Market is here in Dresden? Read more about the Christmas Markets of Dresden here.
In general, you can expect the following at any Christmas market you visit:
- Food and drink from the region.
- Artisan goods from the region and around Germany.
- Stalls selling general goods that can be purchased as souvenirs or stocking stuffers.
- Twinkling lights and candles.
- Enormous, beautifully decorated Christmas trees.
- Nativity scene.
- Carolling.
Christmas markets are an ideal place to meet with friends and family and experience Christmas in a whole new way.
Decorations
Like the rest of the Northern hemisphere, Christmas in Dresden occurs while the weather is grey and the days are short.
AKA: The perfect backdrop for twinkling lights and candles.
In any town in Saxony, you’ll spot the below decorations throughout the Advent time.
Christmas Trees
Now a standard part of Christmas celebrations the world over, did you know that Christmas trees actually originated from Germany?
Like many places in the Northern Hemisphere, it is a family tradition to go out and find the perfect Christmas tree to bring home.
However, what goes on the tree varies quite a lot.
Typically, tree decorations in Dresden are more demure and delicate than those in other parts of the world.
For example, it’s fairly uncommon to find homes filled with glitter or garish colours. Likewise, tinsel, flashing lights, inflatable Santas and Reindeer are hard to come by.
Traditionalists hold that Christmas trees should not be brought inside and decorated until December 24. Throughout December it’s common to see Christmas trees on balconies, staying cold until their big day arrives.
My family, trying to straddle traditions from both Germany and Australia, decorate our Christmas tree on the First Advent.
And no, my Mother-in-law is not impressed!
Candle Arches (Schwibbogen)
The traditional candle arch can be spied in almost every window throughout Dresden.
There are big ones, little ones, colourful ones, modern ones, traditional ones, even some with real candles.
The Schwibbogen is a traditional feature of Saxon Christmas decorations and the first you’ll notice in most windows.
They are so ubiquitous, that the local building regulations insist that window sills of public buildings have power points in them to ensure space and power outlet for the Schwibbogen come the Advent Time.
These usually handcrafted items come almost exclusively from the Ore Mountains and are created by master craftspeople.
If you’re interested in visiting the largest Schwibbogen in the world, you’ll want to visit the Dresdner Striezelmarkt.
Morovian Star (Herrnhuter Stern)
Hung in windows, on balconies and above the doorway of official buildings, these stars are everywhere in Dresden during the Advent Time.
Originally created for children as a Geometry lesson, these stars have been a staple Christmas decoration for Saxons since at least the beginning of the twentieth century.
Most commonly these stars are yellow, white or red.
However, every year the manufacturer releases a limited edition colour.
To see what the new colour will be in 2024, head here.
Christmas Pyramids
Although not visible from windows, the Christmas Pyramid is a part of the cozy coffee catch ups in the apartment of friends and family.
These hand crafter, wooden decorations spin round and round thanks to the heat generated by candles at their base.
The variety of Pyramids available is astounding. Some are very simple, displaying only one or two figures turning in the middle, while others have multiple tiers and figures, spinning like a carousel.
Pyramids have a dreamy quality about them. While everything is quiet and still in the reflective and cozy Advent Time, the flicker of the candle and the predictable movement of the figures can be mesmorising.
If you fancy climbing on a Christmas Pyramid, you’ll want to visit the Christmas market at the Frauenkirche in Dresden.
Smoking men (Räuchermänner)
These are uniquely Saxon and are, for foreigners, possibly the strangest of all the traditional Christmas decorations.
Räuchermänner are simply a decorative way to burn incense.
They typically come in two parts. The base, including legs, is where the incense cone sits and is lit. The second part, including the body and head, sit over the incense. The scented then escapes through the man’s wide open mouth to give the illusion of smoking.
While smoking is no longer in vogue and many woke folk among us may consider Räuchermänner in bad taste, they are everywhere and come in all forms imaginable.
Like the candle arches and pyramid, Räuchermänner are also hand carved and painted by artisans in the Ore Mountains.
Food and Drink
Christmas the world over is marked by eating rich food, the type not ordinarily eaten throughout the year. Dresden is no exception!
Christmas Biscuits (Plättchen)
Plättchen are a collection of very specific Christmas biscuits made only during the Advent Time. These are enjoyed with a cup of coffee during one of the many Advent visits and gifted to friends and family.
These biscuits will often include almonds or chocolate, traditionally foods that were delicacies and therefore used only for the most important of celebrations.
Plättchen can be cookie-like, cut into stars and other Christmas shapes or they can be extravagant, featuring two biscuits stuck together with jam and coated in chocolate, to name but one example.
Available at bakeries, Christmas markets at Oma’s house, Plättchen are not to be missed during the Advent Time.
Gingerbread
Is there anything more Christmasy than a house made out of Gingerbread? Available in all shapes, sizes and constructions, Gingerbread is another commonly occurring Plättchen during the Advent Time.
Of particular interest is the regional specialty coming out of Pulsnitz, a small Saxon town not far form Dresden.
Lebkuchen, as it is known locally, it best enjoyed with a hot cup of coffee or a steaming mug of Gluhwein.
Stollen
Possibly one of the most famous exports from Dresden, Stollen sits proudly alongside Plättchen on the table for Advent coffee and cake dates.
This sweet Christmas bread has been continuously baked and enjoyed by Saxons since around the 16th Century.
The 150 official Dresden Stollen bakers commence their preparation in early November to ensure the Christmas staple is ready to be enjoyed by the First Advent.
Today, we have the choice of Stollen filled with fruits, almond or poppyseed.
If you really want to enjoy a quirky Dresden tradition, make sure you’re in town for the annual Stollen Festival.
Held on the Saturday before the second Advent, a giant Stollen is paraded through Dresden’s old city before being presented and eventually sold in slices at the historic Striezelmarkt.
In 2024, the Stollen Festival will be held on Saturday December 7.
You can read more about the fascinating history of Stollen, where to buy it and further details about the Stollen Festival here.
Bratwurst and Mashed Potato
Ok. I know what you’re thinking: “That’s NOT Christmas food!”.
I get it.
And I think it every year when, on December 24, this is our Christmas dinner.
But hear me out.
In Germany, the majority of festivities with immediate family takes place on December 24.
Traditionally, a visit to church would also occur and some people may even have to be working that day.
So, dinner on December 24 is deliberately simple. It means you have an appetite for the feast that occurs the next day.
And after all, tradition is tradition.
Goose
In Germany, December 25 is the first day after Christmas (something I’m still getting my head around after living here for three years!)
This is the day that, traditionally, extended families will meet to celebrate together.
So THIS is the day of the big feast with all of the rich and unusual food.
Throughout November there will suddenly be signs everywhere advertising Christmas Goose for sale.
These need to be ordered well ahead of time, so if you’re up for the challenge of roasting a Goose, you’ll have to be organised.
While goose may be the traditional meat enjoyed on the first day after Christmas, it’s becoming less popular.
Game Meat
After the disappointing start to the Christmas feasts on December 24, the feasting on rich and usual foods continues for two days.
December 26 is the second day after Christmas and is traditionally when more extended family gatherings occur.
This second feast is for game meat.
Deer. Rabbit. Boar.
They’re all potentially on the menu accompanied by potato dumplings, mashed potato or a bread dumpling.
Glühwein
Warm, spiced wine is the perfect antidote to the chilly wind outside.
It can be served with citrus peel for an addition tang. It can have sugar melted into it for additional sweetness. It might even come with an extra shot of rum to warm you all the way down to your toes.
It’s also the perfect accompaniment to everything from Plättchen to Bratwurst.
Advent time is the time to enjoy Glühwein.
Enjoy it at the Christmas markets, on cozy Advent afternoons or at home once the kids are asleep.
Presents
We all know that Christmas is all about the pre –
I mean . . . presents are a lovely part of the Advent Time and in Germany gift giving takes place on December 24.
Santa visits
This isn’t the usual passing out of gifts from under the Christmas Tree. Instead, Santa (or Weihnachtsmann, more accurately), visits the house to deliver gifts for the family from his sack.
It‘s truly a sight to behold on Decmeber 24 when, throughout the city, men are frantically changing in and out of Santa costumes to keep the magic alive.
Similar to other parts of the world, treats are offered to Santa as thanks for his efforts.
Plättchen, milk and, in the case of some very lucky Santa’s, beer are given to him as he leaves.
Nikolaus also visits
Another delightful tradition for children is the much anticipated visit of Nikolaus.
On December 6, children and adults across the country, will wake to find their boots filled with sweets.
But only if the boots have been polished.
While a little strange at first, this tradition has come to be among my favourite since living in Dresden.
Seeing multiple pairs of shoes in front of every apartment door, lovingly filled with sweets and other treats is heartwarming.
A note on Nikolaus
Yes, he‘s based on St Nicolas.
No, he’s not Santa.
This can be confusing, as in other Western traditions Santa Claus, or Father Christmas, is synonymous with St Nic.
However, in Germany, Nikolaus and Weihnachtsmann are two distinct people.
Who both happen to bring presents.
Now you know!
Now that you know some of the Christmas traditions in Dresden, it’s time to celebrate!
Frohe Weihnachten!
Did you know these Christmas traditions in Dresden? What have I left out? Tell me your experiences in the comment section below.
