Austria’s Heartfelt Advent: the Magic of Christmas Traditions

Besides the famous Christmas Markets, there are a lot more traditions around Christmas in Austria. Have you heard about the advent time, the typical advent wreath with four candles, o the Krampus? In this blog post, you will learn more about the Christmas Traditions in Austria and the pre-Christmas time.

The Christmas mood during December in Austria

Although I’m not a fan of the cold season. Christmas time makes one of my most favorite childhood memories. White Christmas was still pretty normal during my upbringing. I remember the streets covered in snow, the early evening dusk, the warmth of the kitchen-living room and the candlelight of the advent wreath. It was cozy, very cozy. It was snowing outside. And when it was snowing, the world was silent. The white veil covered the landscape and the roads. I couldn’t hear cars passing. Only the occasional sound of the neighbors’ shovel.

It was warm inside, the tiled stove was burning, and I was sitting with my family at the kitchen table listening to my mother read. 

I also enjoyed the culinary delights that came with the pre-Christmas time: gingerbread, nougat chocolate pralines or the sweets of the Nikolas bag. Which kid wouldn’t enjoy that?

Advent time – the pre-Christmas time in Austria

In Austria, you call the month before Christmas Advent time. The word comes from Latin Adventus, which means arrival. The arrival of Jesus Christ.
Four Sundays before Christmas are called Advent Sunday. Depending on the year, it can also be the last Sunday of November. 
Christmas Eve is celebrated in Austria on the evening of the 24th. This day is not a public holiday. But most businesses close at noon. On the 25th and 26th, which are public holidays, it is common to celebrate Christmas with the extended family. Young families visit their parents and/or grandparents. 
Everything that has to do with Christmas is called Advent in Austria. For instance, the countdown calendar is called the Advent calendar. 

Advent wreath

Wreath made of fir branches decorated with ribbons, Christmas tree cones, and four candles. These candles will be lit on each Advent Sunday before Christmas. Every Sunday, one more candle shines and on Christmas, all four lights are lit. The Advent wreath usually decorates the Austrian kitchen or living room table or is a hanging decoration.

Its history dates back to 1839 and was invented by the Evangelical Lutheran theologian Johann Hinrich Wiechern in northern Germany, the founder of the Diakonie. He wanted to decrease the waiting time for children from poorer backgrounds. The initial advent wreath had four big candles and 20 smaller candles on a wagon wheel that was hanging from the ceiling. Later, pine branches were used, and the Catholic Church began to use them as well. Since 1930, the Advent wreath is also used in Austria.

You can buy them or make them yourself. It is fun to make them yourself. It is not as difficult as you might think. This is how a typical advent wreath in Austria is made. And here is something you should NOT do in Austria.

Advent calendar

I guess the countdown calendar is common around the world. In case you don’t know it. It is a calendar with 24 “doors”, so it counts the days till Christmas from the 1st of December on. And at each door, you can find chocolate or other candies. But there are also calendars with toiletries like perfume, tools or giveaways. The typical advent is a paper calendar with chocolate, but you can also find it in various shapes and forms. I once got a reindeer advent calendar made of wood, with small bags with the numbers from 1 to 24 and small gifts in it.

Saint Nicholas day – traditional celebration in Austria

The history of Saint Nicholas dates back to 270 and 324 after Christ, to Nicholas from Myra. He was the patron saint of sailors and merchants. It was said that he helped the poor and ended the famine that prevailed in South Turkey where he is from. But there are around 150 legends about him. 

Austrias Saint Nicholas Day is on the 6th of December. However, the celebrations start already the day before. Nicholas wears a long white fabric with a red coat. He has a big white beard. He wears a bishop cap with a cross on it and a rod with a curvature. 

Typically, children put their shoes in front of the door and overnight the shoes get filled with treats, like chocolate, peanuts, gingerbread, apples and mandarins. Parents can also bring a dressed up Nicholas into their home. Nicholas has a talk with the children. He even tells them if they behaved well this year and then they get their gifts. In a so-called Nicholas bag. Also in schools, Nicholas visits the children and brings gifts. I also was once this primary school kid that got a visit from Nicholas. Though he seldom comes alone.

The Austrian Krampus

Between the 16th and 19th centuries, the Krampus began to accompany St. Nicholas. While Nicholas rewarded the well behaved kids, Krampus punished the not well-behaved ones.

The Krampus has a terrifying mask and is considered a furry devil figure. Around the 5th and 6th of December, you will find lots of Krampus parades, especially in Austrians’ alpine towns. The Krampus are running around in the town with their furry suit, belt with bells, masks and rod.
If you don’t want to get hit by them, don’t tease them! I’m serious. They do hit people. As a kid, I was always afraid of them. No wait, I’m still am. Some girls in my class told stories about how they got hit by them. I never went to Krampus events as a kid.
Often during the 5th and 6th of December, the Krampus visit Christmas markets.
To show that every region in Austria has its own traditions. In East Tyrol, there is the tradition of the “Krampus Wüaf”. It looks pretty brutal.

The Christmas celebration in Austria

Austrians’ typical Christmas dinner varies from state to state. In the Salzburg region, where I’m from, it is typical to eat sausage soup. Carp, veal sausages with sauerkraut or other dishes that are enjoyed on Christmas Eve. As mentioned above, Christmas Eve is celebrated on December 24th in Austria (as well as in many other European countries).
In my family we have raclette for Christmas dinner. The dessert, of course, is Christmas cookies. Austrians are very proud of their wide selection of Christmas cookies. My grandmother was the chief of Christmas cookies in her fine years, she made up to 16 different cookies.

In Austria, kids aren’t told that Santa Claus brings the gifts, but that Christ Child (Christkind) brings them. Many families put the gifts under the well decorated Christmas tree. The decoration of the tree can vary, some put candies on the tree or candles. The most important thing is the star on the top. Nativity scenes are also an important part of Christmas time in Austria. The nativity scene comes out of storage in December and decorates the living room until after Christmas. Some children even make their own nativity scene at school.

Christmas Markets

What would be the Advent time without them: the famous Christmas markets? The history of the Christmas Markets dates back to the middle ages.
The citizens had the opportunity to cover their winter needs at the markets. Later it expanded to include stalls offering handicrafts and chestnuts, roasted almonds. In Austria, you can find Christmas markets in every big city, but also in the charming villages in the countryside.

Typical drinks at the Christmas Market are mulled wine or Punsch. The markets usually open in the middle/end of November and end before Christmas Eve.

Christmas Vocabulary for Austria

• Stuben – room (living/kitchen, mostly with a tiled stove)
• Nikolaus Sackerl – Nikolaus bag with nuts and candies
• Christkindl – a spirit-like child that brings the Christmas gifts in Austria and many other European countries
• Bescherung – the distribution of presents
• Christkindlmarkt – other word for Advent market or Christmas market
• Lebkuchn – ginger bread
• Weihnachtskekse – Christmas Cookies
• Mistelzweig – mistletoe
• Weihnachtsbaum – Christmas tree
• Weihnachtsstern – Christmas star
• Krippe – nativity scene