Christmas Traditions In Austria: Unique Holiday Customs And Culture

Christmas in Austria is a magical affair, with snow-covered mountains, Christmas markets, and homemade cookies. The country shares some traditions with its neighbour Germany, but also has its own unique customs. Austrians start celebrating early, with Advent marking the beginning of the festive season. Families make or buy an Advent wreath, usually made from fir or spruce, and decorated with four candles that are lit on each of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas Eve. Christmas markets spring up in towns across the country, with Vienna, Innsbruck and Salzburg's markets drawing visitors from around the world.

Christmas markets, including Vienna's

Christmas markets are a staple of Austrian festive culture, and Vienna is undoubtedly the jewel in the crown. The Austrian capital hosts a world-famous classical music concert, the 'NeuJahrsKonzert', each year on New Year's Day morning. The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra plays music from the Strauss family in the 'Großer Saal' (large hall) of the Musikverein, the concert hall of the Viennese Music Association. The event is televised globally and is famous for its waltz music.

Vienna's Christmas markets are also renowned. The city is adorned with twinkling lights, and there are tons of markets, concerts, and traditional foods to enjoy. The lighting of the large red bow in the corner of the department store Popp & Kretschmer is an unofficial signal that the holiday season has arrived. The Graben, the main pedestrian walkway through the city centre, is covered in chandeliers and swaths of white lights. The Stephansdom is lit up with coloured lights, and festive touches are added throughout the city.

The Vienna Opera Ball in February is the most glamorous of all the balls in Vienna. With a strict dress code, the doors open at 20:40, there is a Midnight quadrille, and the ball does not conclude until 5 am the following morning.

The Christmas Market at the Rathaus (Vienna City Hall) is one of the largest, and it features a large skating rink. There are skate rentals, lockers, and even animal-shaped skating helpers for children who are learning. The skating rink is not one large, open, oval, but several in a wooded area, with connecting skating pathways that wind through the trees.

The Christmas Market at Schönbrunn Palace is also popular, and it offers activities such as marzipan snowman-making. The Town Hall Christmas Market is another must-see, with its thousands of glittering fairy lights. The snow-covered trees are decorated, and hundreds of small chalets sell everything from handcrafted goods to delicious treats and hot drinks.

Outside of Vienna, Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart, is another city that hosts lovely Christmas markets. The most famous one is the Salzburg Christmas Market, located in the historic Old Town. The Graz Christmas Market in the picturesque old town of Graz is also a must-visit, especially the small market in the Kasematten (old caves). The Innsbruck Christmas Market, situated in the heart of the city and surrounded by the stunning Tyrolean Alps, is another highlight.

Krampus and Perchten

Krampus is a devil-like creature who accompanies Saint Nicholas on 6 December. Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of children, parades through town carrying a book in which children's good and bad deeds are recorded. Krampus, on the other hand, comes along with chains and a switch, looking for children who were not as good as they ought to have been in the past year. The Krampus tradition existed throughout the Habsburg empire and in neighbouring regions.

Perchten, on the other hand, are folk figures only encountered in the Alpine regions of Bavaria and Austria. They appear during Twelvetide, between the winter solstice on 21 December and Epiphany on 6 January. There are two types of Perchten: the "good" Schönperchten and the "evil" Schiachperchten, whose masks are especially scary. The Pinzgauer Tresterer are a peculiarity of the beautiful Perchten. They perform mystical dances dressed in precious robes and are accompanied by pine cone men, doughnut snappers, and goat figures.

Advent wreaths

The Advent wreath was first seen in Germany in 1839 before becoming a popular symbol of Christmas in Austria. It is a way for families to celebrate the Advent period, which is a time of anticipation and reflection in Austria.

Christmas foods, e.g. gingerbread

Christmas in Austria is a time for family, tradition, and food. In the lead-up to Christmas, Austrians get busy in the kitchen, baking biscuits and cookies, including gingerbread, Lebkuchen, Rum Balls, Florentines, and Cinnamon Stars.

The Christmas Eve dinner in Austria is a traditional affair, with fried carp taking centre stage, dating back to a time when Christmas was a day of fasting for Catholics. This is usually followed by Sachertorte, Vienna's most famous cake, or cookies such as Vanillekipferl.

The Christmas markets in Austria are also a food lover's delight, with stalls selling gingerbread, stollen, maroni (roasted chestnuts), bratkartoffeln (roasted potato wedges), and knödel (bread dumplings). To wash it all down, there's glühwein (mulled wine), glühmost (hot mulled cider), kinderpunsch (non-alcoholic punch), and Weihnachtspunsch (Christmas punch).

Other traditional Austrian Christmas foods include roast goose, rouladen (beef or pork rolls filled with bacon, onions, and pickles), and baked ham. For dessert, there's Linzer torte, a jammy treat with raspberry preserve sandwiched between almond biscuits.

Christmas carols, e.g. 'Silent Night'

"Silent Night" is a Christmas carol that holds a lot of significance in Austria. It was first performed in the Austrian village of Oberndorf, near Salzburg, on Christmas Eve in 1818. The song was created by Joseph Mohr, a priest, and Franz Xaver Gruber, a schoolteacher and organist, who combined the lyrics and melody for the first time.

The story behind the carol's creation is an interesting one. According to legend, Mohr, inspired by the stillness of a starlit, holy night, wrote a poem after blessing a newborn baby on a Christmas night. He later gave this poem to Gruber, who quickly composed a tune. The carol was initially sung in a small chapel in Oberndorf, accompanied only by a guitar as the church organ was not functioning at the time.

"Silent Night" has become one of the most famous and beloved Christmas carols worldwide, with a powerful message of peace, hope, and unity. It has been translated into over 300 languages and is recognised by UNESCO as part of its Intangible Cultural Heritage List. The song is a staple of Christmas celebrations in Austria and is often sung by families on Christmas Eve.

The legacy of "Silent Night" is celebrated in several Austrian provinces, including Salzburg, Upper Austria, and Tirol. Visitors can trace the origins of the song by visiting various sites, including the schoolhouse in Arnsdorf where Gruber lived and composed the melody, and the Silent Night Chapel in Oberndorf, built on the site of the first performance.

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