Germany is well known for its chrismas markets, attracting tourists from all over the world. But did you know that fairytales and ballet performances are also things that definitely belong to an authentic German christmas? And how do you get to have an authentic experience on German christmas markets?

For more information on German christmas traditions, visit part one of this christmas series!

Christmas Markets – Where Germans Really Go at Christmas Time

This is probably what most people from abroad associate with German christmas time. And yes, we do love our christmas markets! To varying degrees, though. There are three main types of christmas market visitors. If you are planning a visit yourself, you can also jump right down to some christmas advice on German christmas markets!

Christmas Market Visitors in Germany

Type One: Been Waiting For It All Year!

There are those who just can´t get enough of christmas markets. If they could, they would visit all of them! But since they can´t, they will at least visit one of the really big christmas markets, or the biggest one within their reach. Or even several ones, if possible. German christmas markets are crowded with tourists not only from all over the world, but also from Germany itself.

Type Two: Not Visiting the Christmas Market, But Living On It

Then there are those people who just love visiting their local christmas market and do so multiple times during the Advent weeks. After all, it´s going to be a long year from January to next December… So they make their local christmas market their outdoor living room. Christmas time, for them, means spending afternoons or evenings at the Glühweinstand (Mulled Wine Stand) with friends or colleagues, watching, meeting and greeting more friends, neighbors, relations and relatives who might happen to walk by. No time and place like this for socializing!

Type Three: Visiting the Christmas Market With Kids

There are those who go there for the Carousels, or to say hello to Father Christmas, maybe see some live sheep or listen to a fairytale being read. Needless to say, these will be the younger visitors! Parents may attend choir or dance performances, and the whole family will certainly indulge in some of the countless treats that people from all over the world expect to find on German christmas markets.

And of course, some just come to take a walk in that special atmosphere and scent of roast almonds, potato pancakes and punch.

Which christmas market should I visit?

Personally, I don´t like the big and famous German christmas markets. I find them way too crowded, and since they have been taken over by event planning companies, they are all the same. So I recommend visiting a smaller christmas market. Near me, there would be the university town of Göttingen or the enchanting medieval town of Goslar and other places in the Harz mountains, or even a really small place like Einbeck. Some of their christmas markets will last only a few days, and some will not be big enough to keep you entertained for several hours. But you might want to combine your visit with other activities.

Tips for visiting christmas markets

If you do visit one of the big christmas markets, I strongly recommend doing so in the afternoon. They can get very unpleasant in the evening, with rising numbers of drunk people, rising numbers of visitors in general and therefore an increased likelyhood of pickpocketing. If possible, you should avoid weekends, too. But be aware that on weekdays, many christmas markets don´t open before 3 or 4pm.

There is usually no entrance fee to christmas markets, but you should expect food and drinks (and toilet use) to be very expensive.

The Best Christmas Markets to visit in Northern Germany

The best large christmas market I have been to is the one in Magdeburg. It´s especially great fun for children as it usually has several carousels, a Ferris Wheel and other kids´activities. And there is a medieval-themed alternative christmas market right next to it. Other large christmas markets in northern Germany are those of Hamburg, Hannover and Braunschweig. The christmas markets of Lübeck and Osnabrück are said to be among the most beautiful in Germany. And of course, Berlin offers a variety of christmas markets!

Advent Music, Theatre and Ballett: German Family Outings at Christmas Time

There will, of course, be all sorts of performances. So I´ll just concentrate on what I believe to be particularly traditional and typical for German christmas time!

German Christmas Music

Advent is a very musical time in Germany. Many families sing together at least on the Advent weekends. They combine this with lighting a new candle on the Advent wreath and having some christmas cookies or “Kaffee und Kuchen” (coffee and cake). Many school teachers will begin the first lesson of the day by lighting the due amount of candles on the classroom advent wreath. Then the class will sing a christmas song together. In fact, one of my university professors did this, followed by reading a christmas story to the students. It really made up for having to be there on a Monday morning at 7.45!

But there are also many Advent and Christmas concerts, especially in churches. Choirs will often perform a number of traditional Advent hymns and Christmas carols. Many will do more demanding works like Brahms´ Marienlieder or Bach´s Christmas Oratorium.

Theatre And Ballet: What Performances Do Germans Visit At Christmas Time?

Planning to visit any performance of The Nutcracker, Sleeping beauty or Hänsel und Gretel in Germany? You should book well in advance!

Christmas Time Ballet: The Nutcracker

One of the most popular places to go during Advent is the theatre or opera house. There is a very high chance that Tchaikowsky´s Ballet “The Nutcracker” will be on. As I showed you in my previous christmas post, Nutcrackers are among the most common christmas items in Germany. Young children often can´t quite decide whether to regard them as dolls to play with, or as threatening, potentially live trolls. After all, they can move their frighteningly big jaws! 19th century horror writer E.T.A. Hoffmann specialized on this kind of ambiguity. The librettist shortened and rather “cleaned up” his novel “Nutcracker and Mouse King” to be the sujet of the well known ballet. It may be this popular in Germany because it combines three very German topics: Nutcrackers, christmas as the feast of the family, and the intertwined fascination and horror of technical devices that is deeply rooted in German culture.

For variety, there will also be other ballets than The Nutcracker at christmas time, most likely Sleeping Beauty or Swan Lake. Especially for the former two, there will also be performances during daytime so it is more convenient for families to attend.

Opera: Hänsel und Gretel

Many theatres put on this opera almost every year. Adelheid Wette wrote the libretto and her brother Engelbert Humperdinck wrote the music specifically for children. The macabre side of the story was replaced by a milder explanation as to how Hänsel and Gretel got lost in the forest. So this is one of the best things to visit with your children at christmas time in Germany!

However, do check beforehand that the performance is actually appropriate for children. Some theatres “modernise” the opera in very unfortunate ways. If it´s a traditional rendering true to the authors´ intentions, it may (positively) impress your children for years!

Fairytales belong to a truly German christmas time

Making gingerbread houses may be an even more popular christmas time activity in America than it is in Germany. Families do make them, but German gingerbread often comes in the shape of hearts, stars or simply squares. In these shapes, it is among our traditional christmas tree ornaments. But the fairytale “Hänsel und Gretel”, to which the gingerbread house refers, certainly belongs to a German christmas time! So do fairytales in general, though it may not be immediately obvious why. For some of the reasons, please see below! During Advent, there are countless fairytale theatre plays on stage for children. Fairytale movies will be on TV – for example, many Germans just can´t imagine christmas without “Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella”. There are christmastime ornaments with fairytale motives on walls, windows and christmas trees.

What is the connection between christmas and fairytales?

One reason for this is that, in former times, families had to spend the long dark winter evenings together in the one warm room of the house. A good time for storytelling! Within the 19th century, christmas became less centred on church and public activities, but almost exclusively around the core family, and especially children. So reading fairytales was simply one way of giving the kids a good time (as it still is). Later, the Hitler regime encouraged the family aspect of christmas even more, to draw attention away from the holiday´s christian content and shift it toward the solstice with its aspect of fertility. Nowadays, christians are a minority in Germany with most people being atheist, agnostic, neo-pagan or new age. Fairytales provide a substitue for those who want to avoid the christian content of christmas. On the other Hand, the Grimm brothers´objective in collecting and editing their fairytales was, among other things, to promote christian values. They were meant to present the children with moral examples. So personally, I have no problem reading fairytales to my children at christmas or any other time.

Do Only Christians Celebrate Christmas in Germany?

The answer is definitely no. Throughout the country, about 70% of the population celebrate christmas, while the percentage of christians in Germany ranges from about 70% in the southwest to only 10% in the northeast. The actual rate of christians is even lower as many are members of a church without being believers (some don´t even know they are listed as members). Christmas just is the main holiday and highlight of the year in overall German culture. But since family and children stand so much at the centre of an authentic German christmas, you don´t have to be a christian to have reason for a celebration.

How Do Germans Celebrate The Actual Christmas Days?

To learn more about authentic German christmas, please follow the link to the third part of this christmas series. Here you will read what Germans do on christmas evening and on christmas day. You will learn the very important distinction between St. Nicholas and Father Christmas, and when to put out your stocking!