On the 1st Sunday in Advent 2022, you can enjoy some grilled sausages and mulled wine at the lighting of the Christmas pyramid in Leisnig. Leisnig's firemen will lead a lantern procession to the pyramid after the "Stollen" festival at the Münch am Eulenberg bakery where this traditional Christmas fruit loaf is baked. From 4:30 pm, the pyramid will be lit and begin to rotate accompanied by the Leisnig brass band and with the help of Leisnig outdoor swimming club.

When? 27.11.2022 at 4:30 pm
Where? Kirchstrasse, 04703 Leisnig

On the 3rd weekend in Advent from 2 pm to 7 pm on both Saturday and Sunday, there will be an ice sculpting event in Pegau marketplace. The artist couple Sebastian and Jiang Bian-Harbort from Kitzen will be staging an ICE carving show at the marketplace in front of the big Christmas tree together with Jo.Harbort, a sculptor from Zwickau.
The audience can watch ice sculptures being carved. This project is sponsored by the Free State of Saxony's cultural foundation and the City of Pegau.
Food and drinks will be available.

When? 10 and 11 December from 2 pm
Where? Markt 1, 04523 Pegau

"Who's Christmas decorations are the prettiest?"

The competition to see who's Christmas decorations are the prettiest has become a regular event at the Eilenburg Christmas market over the last few years. Schools and youth institutions from in and around Eilenburg that would like to take part in the Christmas tree competition are requested to contact the city administration. Participating schools then make Christmas decorations and receive funding for the materials used. Trees are provided by the city administration. The schools have time until the end of November to make their decorations. After that, the trees in the city are decorated.

This year, in addition to the decorations, children and adults alike will also have the opportunity to write their wishes on cards and hang them on the trees. There will be two trees at the Lesecafé im Roten Hirsch reserved for the decorative cards that are shaped as stars and presents. The cards can be used to write down wishes for the city of Eilenburg as well as for children to wish for things money can't buy and draw pictures.

Where? Dr.-Belian-Strasse 3, 04838 Eilenburg

Atmospheric winter lighting in a historical setting
Every day from 1 to 24 December one door of the largest Advent calendar in Northern Saxony is "opened" when one window of the Barockschloss Delitzsch is lit up from within. By the end of the Advent season, 24 castle windows will shine out into the night in an artistic display of light. Various different colours are used for the illuminations. Furthermore, the tower is lit up with coloured beams of light. On dark winter evenings from 5 to 9 pm, this is a colourful destination for anyone out for a walk. The 24 festive illuminated windows will be lit every evening until 3 January 2023.

If you are coming to see the lights, it is recommended to come early and visit the exhibition of fairy tales in the Barockschloss Museum beforehand. There, you can marvel at scenes of both well-known and long-forgotten fairy tales.

When? 01.12.2022 from 5 pm
Where? Schloßstrasse 31, 04509 Delitzsch

Grimma Advent calendar 2022 – 24 doors full of surprises

Win vouchers for shops, clubs and services in Grimma

This year's Grimma Advent calendar is focused on local enterprises. Each day at 12 midday, vouchers or items worth €100 can be won. 28 shops, clubs and companies have contributed prizes worth a total of €2400 to the draw. 2000 Advent calendars have been printed. 

And this is how it works: Behind the door at the bottom of each calendar on the left, you will find a number with four digits. Every day from 1 to 24 December, a winning number will be drawn. For example, if on 5 December the number 1234 is drawn, then whoever has this number on their calendar can present the calendar at the relevant shop to collect the prize from door number 5.

The prize will consist of either one voucher worth €100 or two vouchers from two separate shops each worth €50.

You can buy a calendar to enter the draw for €3 in participating shops. There is a list of shops at www.grimma.de/Adventskalender The calendar draw was initiated by the "Local Patriots Department" at Grimma Trade Association (Gewerbeverein Grimma e.V.)

When? from 01.12.2022

The search for the best "stollen" (Christmas fruit loaf) in Grimma
Citizens and local bakers who live in the municipality of Grimma and still bake or produce these traditional Christmas loaves themselves are invited to take part in the competition. The City of Grimma Stollen Testing has become a traditional event and will once again take place in front of an audience this year. Jury members are the Mayor Matthias Berger, master baker Bernd Haferkorn and Radio presenter Katja Möckel. On 4 December 2022 from 3 pm, they will be on stage at the Christmas market to announce the best "Grimma Christmas Stollen".

When? 04.12.2022 from 3 pm
Where? Markt, 04668 Grimma

Around 560 years ago in the Middle Ages, this traditional Christmas fruit loaf was baked for the fasting period from flour, water and brewer's yeast. The shape was intended to remind people of the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes and it didn't matter what the loaf tasted like. Heinrich Drasdow, a court head cook and baker in Torgau had the idea of adding sugar, raisins, almonds, dried fruit and butter to the loaf. Some of these valuable ingredients were only available at chemist's shops. Consequently, his customers at the time were all very wealthy. It was also a very tricky business to bake a fasting loaf using animal products such as butter that were condemned by the Pope. This sticky situation even became a problem for the princely brothers Frederick the Wise and John the Steadfast. At the time, they were ruling the extensive lands of Saxony from Torgau. They wrote a letter to Pope Innocent VIII and managed to legalise the recipe already being used.

Baker Drasdow received a letter of privilege for the "stollen" he had created and can now be considered the man who invented or at least rediscovered this rich Christmas bread that we know today as „Dresden Christstollen“. Even in pagan Germanic times, bread called "Gebildebrote" that contained dried fruits was baked. The baker from Torgau improved on these ancient recipes and courageously filled a gap in the market. At the court in Dresden, "stollen" or "striezel" as they were known there then were produced and consumed in previously unimaginable amounts. The stollen became ever better in taste and even more well-known. According to legend, the reason why the original Drasdow Stollen is now known as the Dresden Stollen is because the inhabitants of this stretch of land along the river Elbe mumble when they speak.

Sophie the Baker Explains the Story of the "Stollen" Christmas Fruit Loaf

Nowadays, you can go on a tour with Sophie the baker's wife through Torgau old town. She will tell you all about daily life in the bakery in the olden days and knows everything about the facts, legends and myths surrounding the question of "where did the Dresden stollen originate?" Every year at the Christmas market, the baker Frieder Francke invites everyone to join him at Torgau marketplace to ceremoniously cut the stollen into slices. He uses a stollen recipe by Barbara Wessner who is descended from the Drasdo family of bakers.

Where? Markt 1, 04860 Torgau

My Favourite Christmas Story
At the church in Groitzsch, the event called "My Favourite Christmas Story" will be taking place once again. Each year, 4 Christmas stories are read. For more than 10 years now, the Mayor and other public figures such as the former manager of the "Bücherstube" bookshop in Groitzsch, the headmaster of the junior school or the now deceased Leipzig priest Christian Führer have been reading their favourite Advent and Christmas stories for the people of Groitzsch.

Santa Claus at the cinema
The last remaining community cinema in Saxony opens its doors for children in the morning on Christmas Eve. Santa Claus will greet them as usual and always brings a sack full of sweets. Afterwards, the little ones can watch a Christmas film for kids. Entrance is free for children, accompanying adults pay a discounted rate.

When? 24.12.2022
Where? Bürgerhaus Kino, 04539 Groitzsch

The Eilenburg Advent Calendar at the town hall traditionally incorporates special events that give all the town's citizens, businesses (shops, service companies, restaurants etc.), clubs and institutions the opportunity to be involved.

As everyone knows, there is always a surprise hidden behind each door of any Advent calendar. This will also be true at the big Eilenburg Town Hall Advent Calendar. There is a something special behind every number. Each business (shop, service company, restaurant etc.), club or institution can provide citizens with a surprise or a special offer on a specific day. These can be discounts or rebates, small gifts or even online tours and online tips that are only valid on the relevant day. The aim is to make interesting and worthwhile offers to the citizens of Eilenburg.

The Advent calendar will be back this year with a slightly different concept. Owing to the events of the last two years, members of the city council will provide reflective words or Advent wishes each day and the windows in the town hall will be lit up.

When? from 01.12.2022
Where? Marktpl. 1, 04838 Eilenburg

Four Candles
Four candles were lit on the advent wreath. Outside, everything was quiet and covered in snow. It was so quiet, that you could hear the candles start talking to each other.

The first candle sighed and said: "My name is PEACE. My flame keeps people safe, but there is so much war in the world. Nobody wants my light." The first candle's flame grew smaller and smaller and eventually went out.

The second candle flickered and said: "My name is FAITH. But I feel like nobody needs me. People don't believe in anything any more. What difference does it make if my flame is lit or not?" A draught blew through the room and the second candle went out.

Softly and hesitantly, the third candle began to speak: "My name is LOVE. I don't have the strength to keep my flame burning. Selfishness is ruling the world. People only look after themselves and are not prepared to help each other be happy." One last flicker, and this light also went out.

Then a child came into the room. Amazed, the child looked at the candles and said: "Why are you not burning? Your flames should be lit and not blown out." Worried, the child contemplated the three unlit candles.

Then the fourth candle spoke up. It said: "Don't be sad, my child. As long as my flame is still burning, we can always light the other candles again. "My name is HOPE."

The child lit a small piece of wood at the fourth candle and gave new life to peace, faith and love.

The smell of freshly baked bread and delicious cakes has been in the air in the town centre of Geithain since 1877.Bäckerei Claus is a family bakery that values originality and regionality. This is why the Clausens are famous and also well-known far beyond the city walls. Their "stollen" Christmas fruit cake is even in high demand as far away as the Cote d'Azur. There is also nothing better than some grilled meat from Butcher Schuhknecht from Geithain. This is a must at any festival in Geithain or guests will notice the difference straight away! The small shop has more than 500 different products available every day. Special requests are no problem. Products are packaged in modern reusable packaging called an ecoBox.

In the castle city of Colditz, you can enjoy delicious poppy-seed cake at Christmas time.

From 12 November to 7 January 2023 in the Spiegelpalast at Wilhelm Leuschner Square.

On 9, 10 and 11 December 2022 in St. Thomas Church.

On 18 December at Leipzig Gewandhaus.

Premiere on 3 December 2022. Last performance on 20 December 2022.

On 25 December at Leipzig Gewandhaus.

Starting on 27 November. Last performance on 22 December 2022.

20 years of Christmas Oratorio at St. Laurentius church in Markranstädt on 11 December 2022.

On 3 December 2022 at the Kulturbastion arts centre in Torgau.

On 2 Decemter 2002 at Crostigall 14 performed by the theatre group "TheaterMacher(n)"

On 11 December 2022 in Grimma town hall.

On 17 and 18 December in the concert hall at the Bad Düben Heath Spa.