24th of December
Christmas Eve: Christmas in Austria is celebrated on the evening of December 24th. After spending the day decorating the Christmas tree, cooking a feast or attending a Christmas matin, one living room window is being opened in the evening to allow the “Christkind” to come by and bring the Christmas presents. Yes, you heard right, the presents in Austria are not brought by Santa Claus, but by the “Christkind”!
Of course, every family has its own traditions, dishes and, depending on the age of the children, certain sequences, but here are some classic Austrian traditions that should not be missing on Christmas Eve.
- Decorating the Christmas tree: The Christmas tree, usually spruce or fir, is decorated for Christmas by December 24th at the latest. With small children this task is often done by the “Christkind” as well and the children are only allowed to see the tree when everything is ready and the presents are under the tree. Other families have made it a tradition to decorate the Christmas tree on the morning of the 24th to get in the mood for the evening with Christmas carols playing in the background.
- Light of peace: The light of peace is supposed to remind of the birth of Jesus and also stands for a peaceful coexistence. From Bethlehem to the living room of Austria. Since 1986 there has been the custom, which was established by the ORF relief campaign “Licht ins Dunkel”, that a child from Upper Austria has the task of bringing the light from the grotto of Jesus’ birth to Austria. Here the glowing Christmas symbol is passed on and distributed all over the world on Christmas Eve.