In Austria, the Christmas season begins on the first day of Advent, about four weeks before Christmas Day. Festive markets called Christkindlmarkt pop up in towns and cities across Austria, selling traditional Christmas decorations, gifts, and food. The centerpiece of this holiday celebration in Austria is the Christmas tree which is often cut on Christmas Eve morning, decorated and illuminated in the afternoon, with the whole family participating.
Christmas Eve is particularly important in Austria. It is a tranquil, peaceful day with close family and friends featuring prominently. Austrian Christmas traditions are quite diverse and vary from region to region. A popular tradition is to have fried carp for the Christmas dinner. For desserts, biscuits and cookies baked in various designs and flavoured with ingredients such as chocolate, hazelnuts, and cinnamon are very popular.
It is also a tradition in Austria for children to receive presents from the Christkind, a golden-haired baby with wings, symbolising the new born Christ. These presents are often found under the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. The singing of Christmas carols is also a vital part of Christmas celebrations in Austrian homes and churches. The world-famous Christmas carol ‘Silent Night’ was actually first performed in the Austrian village of Oberndorf.