Christmas in German families since 1945

Millions of Christmas trees are now embellishing German living rooms. Whereas originally a simple fir tree was good enough, most customers now go for a noble fir. There almost seems to be no limit to decorations - candles, stars, little figurines. Children's eyes fill with joy at the sight of the ornate tree on the evening of December 24. But German Christmas hasn't always been so joyful.

1945: The first Christmas after a devastating war - Germany was left in ruins. Refugees and homeless people were roaming the streets. American soldiers observed a sense of total apathy and resignation among the people. This front page of a magazine from that period seems to suggest something different, but the most important question on most people's minds was: Where can I find something to eat?

1946 - 1949: Charity organizations distributed gifts, chocolates and sweets to impoverished children during these years, which were marked by hunger and misery. But the lack of food and housing also brought people together. Many showed great efforts to somehow celebrate Christmas communally - with at least some food on the table. They even came up with modest gifts like old toys and used clothes.

1950s: As an economic boom hit West Germany, Christmas celebrations became more sumptuous again. Most gifts were still practical in nature - such as clothes, bed linen, or cookery utensils but children started to receive new toys. Although real coffee was still a luxury, West Germany was far better off than the East. All those with family in the East sent parcels with care packages for Christmas.

1950 - 1959: The then-German Democratic Republic (GDR) also found its socialist ideals to be at odds with the teachings of Christianity. The leadership decided to "dechristianize" the holiday - something the Nazis had tried before: Christmas turned into a non-religious family gathering called "year's end fest" or "peace festival," with symbolic Christmas angels being termed "year-end wing-dolls."

1960 - 1969: Postage stamps in the former GDR started to depict items of folk art around Christmastime, omitting Christian motifs altogether. But traditional wood carvings from the Ore Mountains near the border with then-Czechoslovakia continued to be highly popular - also in West Germany. They soon turned into one of the communist state's bestselling exports, especially around Christmas.

1960 - 1969: In West Germany, meanwhile, the period of post-war reconstruction had nearly reached its end, with prosperity growing across the country. Christmas gifts grew more and more expensive, extending into new areas such as electronic items and luxury goods. But at the same time, more and more people started criticizing the new consumerist spirit eroding the Christian origins of the holiday.

1970 - 1975: the growing culture of gift-giving has turned Christmas into the most important holiday of the year, with theologians complaining that the meaning of Christmas has been corrupted. To them, Easter actually remains the most significant day in the Christian calendar. The original meaning of Christmas - or Easter, for that matter - started to fade in Germany's pluralistic society.

1978: By now, consumerism is celebrating itself at Christmas, as a grumpy character in a well-known TV sketch played by Germany's most recognized humorist, Loriot, noted: "Back in my day, there was more tinsel at Christmas" - a rather astute observation. With homemade decorations gone out of style, most Christmas ornaments are now store-bought, mass-produced items sold at wholesale prices.

1980-1989: Christmas sales figures are reliable indicators for the general economic outlook of many nations. According to experts, West Germans arrived in the age of mass-consumerism by the end of the 1980s. Gifts have long ceased to be essential items; even luxury goods are hardly en vogue anymore. People have taken rather to buying things that nobody really need: the era of "just for fun" gifts.

1990s: Suddenly, there are 17 million additional people joining Christmas celebrations across Germany for the first time following the country's reunification in 1990. Many families spend the holiday together for the first time - an emotional event for many. With a desire to catch up, many East Germans opt to shop for Western items they had coveted for many years.

2000: At the turn of the millennium, Christians around the world celebrated "Happy Birthday, Jesus" for the 2000th time. But a growing number of young people in Germany have started to join a new trend, attending "Christmas after-parties" following dinner and gift-giving at home. With more relaxed attitudes towards the festivities, Christmas has become a social event away from religious meanings.

Germans have adopted many of the American holiday traditions, such as installing fairy lights in their front yards and on the facades of their homes. Many of the traditional Christmas decorations have meanwhile ceased to be manufactured in Germany and are typically outsourced to Asia instead. Regional Christmas customs have largely disappeared, as even the holidays aren't safe from globalization.

Some families still try to bring back the origins of the Christmas tradition instead of lamenting its demise. Many focus the story of Mary and Joseph at the manger, and share the narrative of the birth of Christ rather than waiting for Santa Claus to come through the chimney. And even the least religious families try to make it to church, where it's still difficult to find a seat during Christmas.