Nuremberg Christkind
Nürnberger ChristkindCustomAt the market opening since 1933; chosen…
The Nuremberg Christkind is the young person the city chooses every two years to open the Christkindlesmarkt and represent it through Advent, and anyone in Nuremberg on the Friday before the first Sunday of Advent can hear the opening Prolog from the Frauenkirche balcony. Nora Falk holds the role for 2025 and 2026. The opening is a short ceremony in a packed square, so come early or watch it on a broadcast.
Visiting with care
- Photograph the Christkind only at her public appearances, and leave her alone when she is off duty.
- Keep comments to what she does in the role. Talk about her looks or her private life has no place in a post about the market.
Related places
Nuremberg ChristkindlesmarktMarket
The market on the Hauptmarkt that the Christkind opens each year.
The Christkind brings the presents in many German homes, and the city's market site traces the idea of the Christ child bringing gifts back to Martin Luther. Nuremberg casts a young woman in the part. Dressed in a white and gold gown with a golden crown, the Christkind opens the market and then keeps more than 170 appointments through the season, at the market and at charitable institutions.
The role as it stands began in 1933, when the city's Nazi government reopened the market on the Hauptmarkt, which it had renamed Adolf-Hitler-Platz, with a ceremony that included an actress as the Christkind. Renate Timm played her until 1938. After the war Sofie Keeser took the part from 1948 to 1960 and Irene Brunner from 1961 to 1968. The Prolog spoken since 1948 is the work of Friedrich Bröger, who was chief dramaturg of the city theatres, and it was revised several times up to 1966. The opening moved from 4 December to the Friday before the first Sunday of Advent in 1973, because the crowds had grown too large.
Since 1969 the city has chosen its Christkind for a two-year term from the young women of Nuremberg who apply for the voluntary role. A jury chose Nora Falk on 24 July 2025, with members from the local media, the Staatstheater Nürnberg, the city's markets office, its communications office, the tourism board and the previous Christkind, Nelli Lunkenheimer. She opened the market on 28 November 2025 and returns for the 2026 opening. The event page holds this year's time and the details of the ceremony.
Worth knowing
- Arrive on the Hauptmarkt well before the Prolog if you want to see the balcony, since the square fills fast. Several broadcasters carry the opening live if you would rather watch from somewhere warm.
- The market site says you can meet the Christkind during the season, so check its program for her public appearances if you are travelling with children.
Quick answers about Nuremberg Christkind
Who is the Nuremberg Christkind in 2026?
Nora Falk is the Nuremberg Christkind for 2025 and 2026. A jury chose her on 24 July 2025, and she opened the Christkindlesmarkt on 28 November 2025.
How is the Nuremberg Christkind chosen?
The city chooses a new Christkind every two years from the young women of Nuremberg who apply for the voluntary role, and a jury of media, theatre, market, tourism and city representatives makes the final pick.
When does the Christkind open the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt?
The Christkind opens the market with the Prolog from the Frauenkirche balcony on the Friday before the first Sunday of Advent. In 2026 that is Friday 27 November.
How should you behave at Nuremberg Christkind?
At Nuremberg Christkind: Photograph the Christkind only at her public appearances, and leave her alone when she is off duty. Keep comments to what she does in the role. Talk about her looks or her private life has no place in a post about the market.