Home » Christmas » Christmas in Austria Christmas in Austria   If you are looking at a postcard, which has the picture of a beautiful baroque town, drawn on it and you wish if it could just be real, you would not have to look too far to find this place. Turn your dreams into reality. Austria, the abode of the Habsburgs has not just immense wealth to flaunt, its scenic beauty holds equal prominence. Scintillating Danube River Cruises and the scenic stretch of the Alpine ranges are bound to leave you spell bounded. Experience a blasting Christmas in Austria this winter and let it be a memory that would last with you forever. So tighten your seat belts and get ready to embark on a roller coaster ride along the Austrian landscape and you would surely be sorry if you miss out. Christmas is quite a happening thing in Austria. Christmas celebrations begin in Austria with St. Nicholas or Heiliger Nikolaus rewarding good children with sweets, nuts and apples while his companion, the devil beckons "little sinners" to feel the string of his golden rod on the 6th of December. There are lots in store for the big day i.e. the Christmas Day. While the city remains jam packed with the eleventh hour shoppers, the villages exude calmness as farmers inscribe the initials of the Three Wise Men on the archway of the stable door, an act intended to protect the heard from sickness in the coming year. Many villages enact the plight that Mary and Joseph had to undergo as they sought shelter on the eve of Christ's birth. The carols and hymns of the carolers reverberate in the church towers and village squares when people gather for masses and services. Following church services, families return home for more intimate celebrations when "Gebackener Karpfen" (fried carp) chocolate and apricot cake (“Sachertorte") and Austrian Christmas cookies ("Weihnachtsbaeckerei") are served. After dinner folks gather near the Christmas tree and sing traditional Christmas songs. In Austria, "Kristkindl," a golden-haired baby with wings, who symbolizes the newborn Christ effectively, substitutes Santa Claus and he distributes gifts and trees to the youngsters on the Christmas Eve. Come to Austria and be a part of this wondrous tradition. For more queries on Christmas in Austria log on to our site 123Christians.