Christmas in Leipzig and the region

Who doesn’t know Dresden’s Christstollen at Christmas time? This year, the traditional Christmas pastry turns 567 years old. Originally created as a simple fasting pastry made from flour, water, and brewer’s yeast, the baker Heinrich Drasdow from Torgau refined the recipe in 1457 with ingredients such as raisins, almonds, sugar, and butter. The use of butter during the pre-Christmas fasting period was forbidden by the Pope. After increasing protests, he legalized the use of this rich ingredient in 1490 with the “Butter Letter,” in exchange for a donation. The donation money was used to finance “the bridge from the butter chest” over the Elbe in Torgau. Drasdow received a letter of privilege for his stollen creation and may today be considered the inventor of the stollen we now know as “Dresden Christstollen.” At the Dresden court, stollen was eaten in completely different dimensions, which made it increasingly better known and appreciated. According to legend, the mumbled pronunciation of Dresden’s residents also contributed to the fact that Drasdow’s stollen eventually became the Dresden Stollen.

On the 1st Sunday of Advent 2025, the traditional pyramid pushing will take place in Leisnig with bratwurst and mulled wine as part of the Fairy Tale Christmas. After the Stollen festival at the Münch bakery on Eulenberg, the lantern parade with the Leisnig Fire Department leads to the pyramid. At 4:30 p.m., the pyramid push begins with the Leisnig trombone choir and the Leisnig outdoor pool initiative.

When? 11/30/2025 at 4:30 p.m.

Where? Kirchstraße, 04703 Leisnig

The Eilenburg Advent calendar at the town hall is once again intended to be traditionally linked with a special activity. As is well known, a surprise is hidden behind each little door of the Advent calendar. Behind each number there is an activity. Local businesses, clubs, and institutions offer citizens a special deal or discount on a specific day. Offers can include special promotions and discounts, small gifts, as well as online tours or online tips that are only valid or available on that day.

When? starting 01 December

Where? Marktpl. 1, 04838 Eilenburg

A highlight of the pre-Christmas season:

The Bennewitz Elves’ Workshop invites children, teenagers, groups of friends, families, clubs, citizens’ initiatives, after-school groups and school classes to creative crafting sessions from 20 November to 20 December – both mobile and on-site! Organised by the Werner Moser Youth and Leisure Centre, the workshop promises a special atmosphere and lots of fun for all age groups.

In the town of Dahlen, numbered words are displayed in various houses and shops starting in mid-November. If you put the letters together in the correct order, you will get a little Christmas poem. Anyone who solves the puzzle completely and submits it to the town administration will be entered into a draw as a lucky winner at the Christmas market. Here, the drum decides the lucky winners from among the many participants. If your curiosity has been sparked, feel free to search the centre of Dahlen and track down the solution to the puzzle.

Who bakes the best Stollen? At the 17th Markranstädt Christmas Market, this question is set to be answered. All amateur and professional bakers are invited to submit their baked Stollen for a public quality test. During a tasting, a panel of experts, citizens, and guests will vote on all submitted Stollen. The Stollen will be judged based on appearance, texture, smell, and taste. In addition to the title “Best Stollen of Markranstädt 2025”, a great prize awaits the winner.

Advent in the Courtyards

Light and the scent of pine invite you to linger and stroll through the old town. Traditionally, the courtyards in Belgern attract visitors from near and far on the Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent for some pre-Christmas browsing. In a romantically festive pre-Christmas atmosphere, the Roland town will be beautifully decorated – windows, façades, streets, and alleys will transform into a wonderful Christmas world. Many lights and candles will illuminate the town center every evening until Christmas. Even a lovingly decorated monastery courtyard will shine brightly.

For several years now, the lovely tradition of Advent windows has become established in Thallwitz. Throughout the entire Advent season, from December 1 to December 24, families, clubs, the daycare center and school, as well as the local administration, take turns decorating one window each day. The window is illuminated from 6 p.m. and remains visible every evening until Christmas Day. The wonderfully decorated windows invite you to take an evening stroll through the village and offer many people the opportunity for a friendly chat with neighbors and locals – sometimes even with mulled wine and grilled sausage, depending on the hosts' enthusiasm. This turns the dark Advent season into a sociable and cheerful time – far away from the commercial pre-Christmas stress.

This year, the Advent windows will be featured for the first time in the Thallwitz districts of Nischwitz and Böhlitz.

Since 1877, the scent of freshly baked bread and delicious cake has filled the air in Geithain’s town center. The family-run Claus bakery values authenticity and regional ingredients. That’s why the Claus family is known far beyond the city walls. Their Stollen is in high demand at Christmas time, even all the way to the Côte d’Azur. And nothing compares to a sausage from the Schuhknecht butcher’s shop in Geithain. It’s a must at every festival in Geithain, and you can taste the difference right away! The small shop offers over 500 different products fresh every day. Special requests are gladly fulfilled. The reusable ecoBox packaging is a modern and sustainable choice.

On December 12, 13 and 14, 2025 at St. Thomas Church.

From November 15, 2025 to January 17, 2026 in the Mirror Tent on Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz in Leipzig.

Christmas concerts in Bad Lausick, Trebsen, Colditz, Oschatz, Markkleeberg and Bad Düben.

Festive choral and instrumental music on December 21, 2025 in the Great Hall of the Gewandhaus.

Christmas Oratorio in St. Laurentius Markranstädt on December 14, 2025.

Advent concerts in Grimma, Leisnig and Nepperwitz