Christmas Day in Germany
Christmas Day, called the First Day of Christmas in Germany, falls every year on December 25. It is a public holiday, and its religious meaning is reflected in church services as well as in the wider Christmas customs observed across the country.[1][2][6]
A public holiday with protected rest
German state laws designate December 25 as the First Day of Christmas. Saxony’s law names both December 25 and 26 as statutory holidays; Lower Saxony likewise lists the First and Second Days of Christmas among its state-recognized holidays.[1][2]
The holiday is part of Germany’s wider system of Sunday and public-holiday rest. Under federal law, an employer must pay employees for scheduled working time lost because of a public holiday. Work is generally prohibited on public holidays, although the law provides exceptions for services and work that need to continue.[3][4]
Meaning and history
For Christians, Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus. The Evangelical Church in Germany describes Christmas worship, candles, decorated trees and Nativity scenes as established ways of marking the festival.[6]
The date has a long history in the German-speaking world. An account by the Evangelical Church in Germany says a Mainz synod made Christmas a general holiday in the German-speaking lands in 813. The same account traces the present-day importance of Christmas Eve services to changes in worship times: as services moved from the early morning to midnight and then to afternoon or evening, gift-giving on December 24 became established.[5]
Worship, family customs and food
The First Day of Christmas follows Heiligabend, or Christmas Eve, which is often a central family occasion. Church services are part of the season, and some people attend a service on Christmas Day. The EKD notes that in parts of central and southern Germany, an early Christmas morning service remains a major celebration.[5][6]
Christmas meals differ by region and family. The EKD describes roast goose as a well-known Christmas dish, alongside pork roasts and Christmas carp; it also notes that festive meals have traditionally been especially abundant on the First Day of Christmas.[5]
What changes on the day
Expect a quieter public day than a normal working day. Federal rules generally prohibit employees from working on public holidays, with exceptions for specified services. In Saxony, the holiday law protects public holidays as days of rest and permits railways and other passenger transport to operate; actual services and opening hours depend on the place and provider.[1][4]
Christmas Day in Germany: FAQs
When is Christmas Day in Germany?
Is Christmas Day a day off?
Are shops and services open?
Many everyday activities pause for the public holiday, but opening rules and exceptions vary. Check a particular shop or service directly before travelling; passenger transport is permitted to operate under Saxony’s holiday law.[1]
Are there substitute days when December 25 falls on a weekend?
The calendar facts supplied for this page list no substitute or observed date. They do not establish a separate replacement-day rule.[1]
Sources and references
Sources used for Christmas Day in Germany:
- Gesetz über Sonn- und Feiertage im Freistaat Sachsen- Freistaat Sachsen
- Feiertagsrecht- Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Inneres, Sport und Digitalisierung
- § 2 EntgFG - Einzelnorm- Bundesministerium der Justiz / Bundesamt für Justiz
- ArbZG - Arbeitszeitgesetz- Bundesministerium der Justiz / Bundesamt für Justiz
- Weihnachten- Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland
- Weihnachten- Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland