Readying for Christmas celebrations in the nation

Christmas Preparations Progress Across the Nation - Christmas Planning Progresses Nationwide

The festive season is just around the corner, and for the Retail Association of Rhineland-Palatinate, the actual Christmas business begins no later than the end of November. Both online and in traditional retail, the holiday rush is well underway.

In the world of Christmas tree production, Wawi CEO Richard Müller predicts prices for Christmas items this year will be at a high level, similar to those of Easter 2025. The prices are expected to normalize a bit from 2026, settling at a slightly lower level than in 2025.

The growth of Christmas trees occurs between April and early June, with pruning done during this period to prevent them from growing too wide. Despite some light frost damage, the impact has been minimal and not significant, ensuring an ample supply of trees for the holiday season.

Wawi has been busy this year, producing about eleven million Christmas Santas and nine million Advent calendars in Germany. The company, based in Pirmasens, continues to produce Christmas goods for about six more weeks before switching to Easter production in October.

Lars Zimmermann, chairman of the Working Group of Rhineland-Palatinate Christmas Tree Producers, assures consumers that there will be enough trees, including German ones, for Christmas. The classic Christmas trees are typically purchased at three years old and grow for another ten to twelve years before they're sold.

Meanwhile, gingerbread baker Ralf Andrae is preparing for the holiday season. Gingerbread baking at his bakery in Waldböckelheim begins as early as August, with the gingerbread dough made in January. Around eight tons of gingerbread are produced by Christmas Eve, with about 65% of these products exported to various regions.

Andrae's gingerbread can be found in five of their own markets and a series of supermarkets in Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse, and Saarland. The gingerbread is already in the shops no later than October, when Halloween is over. In some areas of trade, the Christmas business is already in full swing around Easter.

As for trends for this year's Christmas business, they are not yet recognizable. However, with high prices for seasonal items and an abundance of traditional favourites like Christmas trees and gingerbread, it's clear that the holiday season is shaping up to be a special one in Rhineland-Palatinate.