How to Recreate a German Christmas Market at Home in 5 Festive Steps

Chances are you can’t make it to Germany every holiday season, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still experience the yuletide joy of a German Christmas market at home.

True, there’s no better place to experience holiday magic than in Germany, a collection of real-life Christmas villages. We’re talking fairytale architecture, stupid delicious food and hot drinks, twinkling lights a-plenty, and a goat demon from Hell swooping in to snatch up your children. Ah yes, good tidings of comfort and joy.

So if you’ve decided your backyard needs a little Berlin this season, that your kitchen need some Köln, or that your driveway needs a little Dresden, use these 5 festive steps to recreate a German Christmas market at home.

How to recreate a German Christmas Market at Home

Turning your house into a German Christmas market isn’t all that difficult, expensive, or time-consuming. But it is tasty as hell. Just follow these five simple steps to Bavarian holiday bliss.

1. Go crazy with decorations

Getting the right decor is half the yuletide battle here. Here’s where to start…

Lights

When you want to recreate a German Christmas market at home, you better be ready to LED like you’ve never LED’d before. For your at-home Weihnachtsmarkt you’ll want lights, baby, lights! String lights and icicle lights and candles!

Lights on the ceiling, lights around the perimeter, lights on the tables and chairs and windows. The better to see how much rum you’re pouring into your mulled wine, my dear.

I hung the icicle lights around the perimeter of the room I was using, draped one set of string lights back and forth across the ceiling, and used the other set around the tree and along the garland on the windows. These sets are really long and offer great coverage.

I opted for “warmer” tones of lights for that glow-y holiday feel (not the hyper-blue/white, “inside of an industrial freezer” shade of traditional LED bulbs).

These lights were easy to hang and don’t get insanely tangled up like the versions of yore. I used my staple gun to hang them and it was exhilarating. (There was such a clatter.) I highly recommend picking one up if you don’t already have one.

You may recognize my gold stars from my at-home Oktoberfest party. And yes, you can reuse many of the same things here! I also reused my gold tablecloth.

If you set up your shindig outside like I did, you’ll also want to have cozy blankets on hand.

Fun fact: Nutcrackers originated in Germany in the 1600s.

2. Set up your space outside

For optimal holiday effect, set up your mock Christmas market outside your home. If you’ve got a large front or back porch, screened-in porch, deck, garage, driveway, carport, or anything, that makes the perfect spot for your German Christmas market at home.

This way, you’ll get all the cool temperatures, fresh air, light snow, night sky, and wintery smells that you would strolling the markets in Germany. And, if your version is anything like mine, you’ll also be visited by a family of deer. (I couldn’t have planned that any better.) 

I’m lucky to have a large screened-in porch and deck behind my house and it was so much more fun and “authentic” than partying in my kitchen. Plus, the deer would’ve made a huge mess.

If you don’t have the option of recreating a European Christmas market outdoors, do so inside but turn off the heat and open the windows. Tear open the shutters and throw up the sash! If “OMG I’m fuh-reezing!” doesn’t leak from your lips at least once, you’re doing it wrong. Winter is the star here, don’t forget the most important part!

Related: For when you’re ready to make your shopping list and check it twice, check out my post on perfect Oktoberfest gift ideas! This post has 32+ awesome gift ideas for Oktoberfest lovers. From clothing to home décor, to art and pets, to food and fun and so. much. more.

3. Prepare all the iconic foods & drinks

Besides inviting Jack Frost, the most important part of recreating a German Christmas market at home is serving all the iconic food and drinks. Check out my full post on German Christmas market foods you can enjoy at home (w/ recipes).

Glühwein

For starters, glühwein is mandatory. Glühwein, or mulled wine, is a hot, spiced wine that combines red wine, run or brandy, oranges and orange juice, and a collection of spices. Glühwein is served hot in adorable Christmas mugs and will keep you warm and jolly all night.

Brewing it will fill your house with the most amazing holiday smells and send you right back to Berlin, or Stuttgart, or Rothenburg, or [insert fave German Christmas city here]. Check out my foods post for a great glühwein recipe and pick up your very own MWL glühwein mug here!

Pro Tip: Thrift stores are great places to find cheap, cute Christmas mugs. 

Like I said above, I’ve got a full post on German Christmas market foods that are easy to make at home and I’ve included recipes for them all. Check it out!

Lebkuchenherzen

Also on the list of must-have foods for your at-home German Christmas market is lebkuchenherzen, but you might know them as the decorated gingerbread heart cookies.

These gingerbread cookies aren’t just for Oktoberfest—gingerbread cookies being a super Christmas-y thing and all. I love making these for my German-themed parties at home and, though they are a bit of work, they are so worth it! Fill them with holiday images and phrases and hang them around your house.

Not only are these cookies delicious and fun to make, they also make great holiday decorations. I use them as part of my German Christmas market décor then send them home with my friends. You can get the cookie and icing recipes in my foods post above.

4. Dress the part

Whether you’re having your German Christmas market at home inside or outside, dressing the part is important. Your get-together won’t have the same festive feeling if you simply come downstairs in your pajamas to get blitzen-ed on rum-spiked wine. (But no judgment – you do you!)

When recreating a German Christmas market at home, be sure to break out the puffy coats and winter hats. Pull on the mittens and the earmuffs. Step into your boots and wrap yourself in a cozy scarf. Ma’s already in her kerchief. (Check out the Wanderlusty Holiday shop here for cute German Christmas shirts!)

Looking for another excuse to don a dirndl? Do it! You can winterize it with a long-sleeved blouse, some leggings, and a cute sweater. Afraid to look too Oktoberfest-y? Check out the Everyday Dirndl from Rare Dirndl.

This simple dirndl was designed to wear any damn day. I personally have the gray one and it’s my absolute favorite. (Plus, it looks totally winter. And by that I mean I’m told I give off serious Arendelle vibes when I wear it.)

While you’re over at Rare Dirndl, also pick up one of her Krampus infinity scarves. Each year Erika creates a new Krampus scarf for the holiday season. They’re creepy, hella weird, and an absolute must-have.

Promo Code: Use the code: MYWANDERLUSTYLIFE at raredirndl.com to save 10%.

Which brings me to…

5. Add Krampus to the mix

So you’re worried you’re going way too heavy on the ho-ho-holidays? A wee bit too much Hark! The herald angels sing? Add a little Krampus to the mix. Whilst Saint Nicholas rewards the well-behaved children with presents, his associate Krampus punishes the bad ones.

If you’re not familiar, Krampus is a half-goat, half-demon who serves as the anti-Santa during the holidays in Austria, southern Germany, and surrounding areas. He’s covered in hair, and has fangs, a long forked tongue, horns, and hooves. He carries birch branches to swat at children and a basket in which to snatch up naughty kids (to drown, eat, or cart off to Hell).

You. Cannot. Make. This. Stuff. Up. (Krampus is actually my favorite part of incorporating German traditions into my holiday celebrations.)

At the Munich Christmas market in early December, you can witness the 500-year-strong Krampus Run during which 300 Krampuses scare the sh*t out of people and whip their children with branches. Such a beautiful holiday tradition.

Krampusnacht

If you ever thought your Christmas season needed a little more Nightmare on Elm Street, you’re in luck! Krampus actually has his own German Christmas holiday known as Krampusnacht. While the feast of Saint Nicholas is celebrated on December 6^th, the night before is all for Krampus. Mwahaha!

On Krampus Night (December 5^th), Krampus visits homes to pass out coal and sticks and hopefully not swipe your spawn. People dressed at Krampus take to the streets to frighten children into not being little jerks, if only for a time.

Invite Krampus to your party

To add a little bit of Bavaria to your German Christmas market at home, make sure Krampus makes an appearance.

You can pick up this too-perfect Krampus mask (or this too terrifying version). Good lord there are actually a ton of horrifying Krampus masks on Amazon.

You can also hit up your local Spirit Halloween store during October for some good stuff. (Like the “Voodoo” mask I used this year.) The fur coat, leather pants, and black lipstick I already owned. It’s like I was born to play this role.