Between Affluence and Scarcity - How the Cold War Split Germany’s Christmas Traditions in Two
A new documentary will explore how Christmas traditions differed between East and West Germany during the Cold War. 'A Divided Celebration – Christmas in East and West' airs on ZDF on Sunday, December 21 at 11:45 PM. The film highlights contrasting customs, from decorations to music, shaped by the era’s political divide.
In West Germany, families often decorated a Weihnachtsbaum—a traditional Christmas tree. Some, however, replaced it with the Erzgebirge candle pyramid, a wooden structure with rotating tiers. Meanwhile, in the East, candle pyramids were far more common due to shortages of fresh trees.
The ZDF documentary sheds light on how political divisions shaped holiday traditions. While West Germans embraced consumerism and travel, East Germans relied on creativity and local customs. The film offers a glimpse into a time when even Christmas reflected the stark differences between the two nations.
