Austria is a small country in the middle of Europe and a place with many unique traditions. In December, the country is transformed into a fairytale. Christmas markets and Christmas decoration light up the darkness of the winter season. However, 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, or the Krampus? In this blog post you will learn more about Christmas traditions in Austria and how the pre-Christmas season is celebrated in Austria.
The Christmas mood during December in Austria – childhood memories
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. When it was snowing, the world was silent. It was comforting to get cozy inside while outside it was freezing. The white veil covered the landscape and the streets. I couldn’t hear cars driving by. Only the occasional sound of the neighbor’s shovel.
The culinary delights that come with the holiday season are also a highlight for many children: gingerbread, nougat chocolates, or the sweets in Nikolas bag. What child wouldn’t enjoy that?
Advent – the time leading up to Christmas 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.
The 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 24 December. This is the day when close family members gather together. It is not a public holiday, but most shops/offices close at midday. The 25th and 26th of December are public holidays, and it is customary to celebrate Christmas with the extended family. Young families visit their parents and/or grandparents. Many restaurants and supermarkets are closed over the holidays. If you want to eat Christmas dinner in a restaurant, you need to make reservations months in advance, especially if it’s a high end restaurant.
Many things that have to do with Christmas is called Advent in Austria. For instance, the countdown calendar is called the Advent calendar.


The Advent Wreath – An Austrian Christmas Tradition
The Advent wreath is 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.
The history of the advent wreath 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 (Adventkranz in German) is also used in Austria and it became an important tradition.
If you want to get ready for Austrian Christmas, you can make an Advent wreath or buy one at a Christmas market or the supermarket. Just make sure you don’t make the mistake of lighting all the candles at once.


The Advent calendar
The countdown calendar is used all over the world. If you don’t know it. It is a calendar with 24 “doors”, so it counts the days until Christmas from December 1st. At each door you can find chocolate or other sweets. But there are also calendars with toiletries like perfume, tools, or giveaways. The typical Advent calendar in Austria is a chocolate calendar, but you can also find them in different 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.
Traditionally Austrian families get their children an Advent calendar. To increase the anticipation of Christmas even more.

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.
The figure of St. Nicholas as it is known today wears a long white cloth with a red coat. He has a large white beard and wears a bishop’s hat with a cross on it and a curved staff. You may find his figure somewhat similar to Santa Claus, but since Santa Claus is not used in Austria, there is no confusion between the two figures.
Austrias Saint Nicholas Day is on the 6th of December. However, the celebrations start already the day before. 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. The 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. 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.
Back in the days those Krampus parades where pretty brutal. The Krampus hit people with their rod and if they get teased by some visitors the Krampus gets aggressive. These days they are more decent. If it’s an official Krampus parade at the Christmas market there is nothing you should worry about.
Also many parents bring their children to those events.
Already starting at the end of November until the beginning of December, around the 5th and 6th, the Krampus visits Christmas markets. If you are afraid, keep in mind the visits to the Christmas markets are usually more decent and at the Krampus parades are the ones that you should keep in the background. Various Alpine towns have their own traditions around Krampus. In East Tyrol, for example, there is the tradition of the “Krampus Wüaf”.
In Bad Mitterndorf in Styria, the Nikolospiele have been held for 160 years. This event is part of the intangible cultural heritage and is a sequence of scenes from the play that is performed on December 5th in the streets of the town.
The traditional Christmas celebration in Austria
Austrians’ typical Christmas dinner varies from state to state. In the Salzburg region, it is typical to eat sausage soup. Carp, veal sausages with sauerkraut or other dishes that are enjoyed on Christmas Eve. Not every family sticks to the traditional meals, as in my family it is customary to eat raclette at Christmas. As mentioned above, Christmas Eve is celebrated on December 24th in Austria (as well as in many other European countries).
The traditional dessert is, of course, Christmas cookies. Austrians are very proud of their wide variety of Christmas cookies. My grandmother was a Christmas cookie chef in her prime, baking up to 16 different kinds of cookies.
In Austria, kids aren’t told that Santa Claus brings the gifts, but that Christ Child (Christkind). 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.
Some families go to church at Christmas. The majority of Austrians are Catholic, but church attendance is reserved for special occasions such as Christmas and Easter.
Many families like to do activities together over Christmas, whether it is game nights, tobogganing or other winter activities, or simply going for a walk.








The Christmas markets in Austria
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 products such as 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. Many markets open in end of November and close before Christmas Eve. Some markets are open between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, except on public holidays.


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



The author of the blog
Lisi is an adventurous, mostly solo traveler from Austria. She likes to travel slowly, discover underrated countries/regions, and of course, learn about cultures. She has been traveling the world and creating travel content since 2016. With a degree in tourism management and a passion for travel and cultures, she wants to tell stories that inspire her readers and help them travel more consciously.
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