German Advent Calendar: Fact of the Day

11. Dezember – Weihnachtsbeleuchtung

Weihnachtsbeleuchtung • Weihnachtshäuser • Christmas Lights

An elaborate installation of Christmas lights in Germany. PHOTO: Video still

The traditional Christmas lighting seen on houses in the US and Canada is not widespread in German-speaking Europe. While you will see special Christmas lights and decorations on most downtown city streets, the American custom of decorating one’s own house with Christmas lights and colorful decorations is less common in Germany.

However, in recent years a small band of Christmas-light fans has started a trend in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. In neighborhoods from Hamburg to Vienna and Zurich, these enthusiasts have amazed and shocked their neighbors with elaborate American-style Christmas lighting. Many Germans enjoy this taste of “amerikanische Weihnachten,” but most wonder why anyone would pay such high electric bills for these Lichterhäuser or Weihnachtshäuser. The good news is that the advent of low-wattage LED lighting has reduced the cost of firing up all those lights for Christmas.

VIDEO 1: Das Weihnachtshaus in Calle 2016

The practice of lighting up one’s home with colorful lights for Christmas has met with mixed reactions in Germany. In the highly ecologically aware country, many people view the custom as a tasteless waste of energy. They also object to the swarms of people that decorated houses often attract. Some Weihnachtshäuser even charge admission and sell warm drinks and snacks to help cover the electric bill.

In one bizarre case in a town near Düsseldorf, neighbors complained about a single string of red Christmas lights strung on the balcony of an apartment. They claimed the red lights created a bad impression – by looking like a house of prostitution. The tenant simply ignored an order to remove the lights installed by his daughter, saying the family had a legal right to display Christmas lights.

With the advent of low-power LED lighting, many Christmas light enthusiasts can claim that even a massive installation consumes less power than a 1600-watt table-top cooker or space heater. The light shows are popular with most Europeans, even if they still tend to complain about energy waste. Over the last decade, decorated houses have become increasingly popular in German-speaking Europe, if still far less common than in North America.

VIDEO 2: Weihnachtsbeleuchtung 2012 in Wagram (Germany)

VIDEO 3: Interview (in German, 2008) with a German Christmas-lights hobbyist

WEB > TAG24.de: UNZÄHLIGE LICHTER! DIESES WEIHNACHTSHAUS IST DER WAHNSINN – Article about a “Weihnachtshaus” in the Frankfurt area – in German: “Frankfurt – Weihnachtsbeleuchtung satt: Wer im Dezember in Frankfurts Dichterviertel spazieren geht, der kann bei Dunkelheit das Funkeln und Glitzern kaum übersehen.”

More Photos and Videos
WEB > Hambacher Weihnachtshäuser (Deutschland, 2011)
WEB > Weihnachtshaus in Aura (Video mit Musik)
WEB > Weihnachtshaus Gewinner – Basel (Video – Swiss German TV 2005 – YouTube)
WEB > Weihnachtshaus in Bräunlingen (Video mit Musik – YouTube)

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AT THE GERMAN WAY

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