Christmas is arguably the most popular holiday in Germany. Anticipation and festive activities start well before Christmas Eve on December 24, with a number of traditions marking the
. The famous Christmas markets, well known for their beautiful
and stalls selling various items, from gifts to food and mulled wine, usually open around the end of November. Dates vary slightly depending on the federal state, but typically the markets stay open until Christmas Day on December 25, with some open even a few days after. These markets are a massive attraction not only for locals, but also for
from within Germany and beyond.
Happy Advent
Other traditions include the
Advent calendar. This takes on different shapes and forms. The calendar can be either store bought or made individually, but the defining feature are 24 sections for the 24 days in December until Christmas Day, with each section containing a small gift for the day. A classic example is a larger cardboard package with small "doors" marked with the date, which can be opened, revealing the surprise behind it. The Advent calendar is very popular among children, but adults also happily
partake in this tradition, and gift each other various versions, or buy one for themselves. Perhaps the most widespread is a calendar that contains chocolate - the size of the offering depends purely on individual consumer budgets. But considering the stable
production volume of chocolate products in Germany, Besides advent calendars, Christmas gifts as such encompassed various
product categories. The most popular among them were books, cosmetics or perfume, then travel and leisure.
Christmas retail
While the population normally starts getting into the Christmas mood later in November, retailers start preparing several months in advance. Despite rising costs across the board of consumer goods and inflation,
retail revenue during the Christmas trading period remained stable, with around 121.4 billion euros predicted for 2024.
Online Christmas sales revenue, meanwhile, was forecast to reach around 21.5 billion euros that same year. The German holiday season remains a vital time for retail revenues, both online and off. However, the expansion of
e-commerce, despite the obvious convenience and enthusiastic consumer support, creates additional logistical challenges due to the volume of deliveries taking place at that time of year.
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