Austria

Silent Night

"Silent Night" was written by Joseph Franz Mohr in Austria. The music was composed by Franz Xaver Gruber.

In Austria "Silent Night" is heard on the radio for the first time on Christmas Eve and repeated hourly.

Barbara Tag (St Barbara Day)

"For me, Christmas really starts on 4th December, on Barbara Tag (Barbara Day), when you go out and cut a few twigs from a cherry tree. You put them into a glass of water, and if there are blossoms on 24th December, someone will marry you."
Teresa, who lives in Austria

Kramperl Tag (Krampus Day)

5th December, Saint Nicholas Eve is known as Krampus Day in some parts of Austria. A Krampus is a very bad spirit usually dressed frightening fur. He looks very ugly. He has a long red tongue, bulging eyes and makes a loud racket with huge cowbells and rattling chains. Krampus reminds the children to be good because if they are not he might take the bad children away in sack.

Krampus Day is quite an event, especially when it gets dark when people dress up in the most scary costumes they created.

"5th December is “Kramperl Tag”, on this day a lot of boys dress up as a Krampus (Kramperl), the attender of the Nikolo (St. Nicholas)."
Teresa, who lives in Austria

"We open our presents on Christmas Eve “Heiliger Abend”, and this is for us the main Christmas. Even our advent calendars have only 24 doors.

First, when it gets dark, we “ausräuchern”. In a special pan, we put some hot coals with a sprikle of frankincense on top. It smells very good. We carry it to every room in the house to smoke out and banish “Rauwascheln”.

Then, we eat our Christmas meal. My family eats Raclette every year, a traditional Swiss cheese dish.

After the Christmas meal, we receive our presents."

Teresa, who lives in Austria

According to Austrian tradition the Christkindl (Christ Child) will deliver the Christmas presents on Christmas Eve

Children write letters to the Christkindl, for the presents they would like. They leave the letters on the window sill for the Christkindl to collect.