Christmas wishes for in-laws USA families love to send at the holidays carry warmth, gratitude, and a little American cheer. Whether you are writing to your mother-in-law in Texas, your father-in-law in Ohio, or your brother-in-law and sister-in-law across the country, the right words can make the family dinner feel even closer. This list brings together heartfelt, funny, and short messages made for American homes, snowy mornings, and long drives home for Christmas. In-laws become family in the truest sense at Christmas. They welcome you to the table, share treasured recipes, cheer for the same football team, and help trim the tree. A thoughtful wish thanks them for that welcome and tells them how much their love means through the year. Use these 45 wishes in a card, a text, a holiday letter, or a toast at the table. Pick one that fits your family, add a personal line about a shared memory, and send it early so it arrives before the turkey is carved and the eggnog is poured. Last up...
Christmas in Vienna is pure magic: imperial palaces glow against the winter sky, carriages clip-clop past baroque facades, and the scent of roasted chestnuts drifts through more than twenty Advent markets. Austria's capital has been perfecting the Advent season since the 1700s.
Whether you're sipping a steaming Punsch beneath the giant tree at Rathausplatz, hearing a choir in St. Stephen's Cathedral, or gliding across one of Europe's prettiest ice rinks, Vienna delivers a holiday experience no other city quite matches. Here are the very best things to do — with confirmed 2026 dates, food to try, and local traditions explained.
Last updated: September 19, 2026
Jump to:
- Christkindlmarkt at Rathausplatz
- Schönbrunn & Belvedere Palace Markets
- Advent Concerts & St. Stephen's Cathedral
- Viennese Christmas Food
- The Christkind & Krippe Traditions
- Wiener Eistraum Ice Skating
- New Year's Silvesterpfad
- FAQs
1. Explore the Christkindlmarkt at Rathausplatz
No trip to Vienna in December is complete without the legendary Christkindlmarkt in front of the neo-gothic city hall. Running November 13 to December 26, 2026, it's Austria's largest Christmas market, with over 150 stalls arranged around a towering tree in Rathauspark.
Don't miss: the twinkling tree centerpiece and light-synchronized park trees after dark, evening brass bands during Advent weekends, the two-story carousel, and the famous red entrance arch — Vienna's most photographed Christmas doorway. Go on a weekday evening to dodge the crowds.
2. Wander the Schönbrunn & Belvedere Palace Markets
Vienna's imperial palaces host the continent's most cinematic markets. The Schönbrunn Palace Christmas market (November 6, 2026 – January 6, 2027) sets roughly 90 stalls before the UNESCO-listed baroque palace, with a Ferris wheel, children's craft workshops, and curling rinks.
Belvedere Palace market (November 20 – December 31, 2026) is smaller but arguably prettier, framed by the Upper Belvedere's golden facade and mirror-still reflecting ponds. Arrive at dusk for the best photos.
3. Hear Advent Concerts at St. Stephen's Cathedral
Vienna earned its "City of Music" title, and Advent is when it shows off. St. Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom), the city's 12th-century Gothic landmark, hosts atmospheric Advent concerts through December, while the Konzerthaus televises its famous Christmas in Vienna gala.
Your concert shortlist: Vivaldi's Four Seasons in the baroque Karlskirche, Mozart & Strauss evenings in the Musikverein's Golden Hall, candlelit concerts in the 400-year-old Peterskirche, and the Vienna Boys' Choir (book months ahead). Pair an evening concert with a daytime climb of the cathedral's south tower.
4. Taste Viennese Christmas Food: Vanillekipferl, Punsch & More
Austrian Christmas runs on Kekse (cookies) and hot drinks — start your tasting tour here:
- Vanillekipferl: crescent-shaped vanilla-and-almond cookies dusted in powdered sugar — the king of Austrian Christmas baking
- Lebkuchen: soft gingerbread hearts, often decorated with icing messages
- Gebrannte Maroni: roasted chestnuts, sold from iron stoves you'll smell before you see
- Kaiserschmarrn: fluffy shredded pancake with plum compote — worth a sit-down break
- Punsch vs. Glühwein: locals choose Punsch — a sweeter, fruit-based spiced punch in collectible mugs — over Glühwein (mulled red wine). Try the Orangenpunsch at least once
Insider tip: Market mugs carry a small deposit (Pfand); keep yours as a souvenir — they're collector's items.
5. Meet the Christkind & Krippe Traditions
In Austria, gifts are delivered not by Santa but by the Christkind — a golden-haired, angel-like Christ Child — on Christmas Eve, December 24, when Austrian families hold their main celebration with a candlelit tree. Children write wish lists to the Christkind, and a tiny ringing bell signals its arrival.
Look for the Krippe (nativity scene) displays across the city — the Freyung market (dating back to 1772) and Karlskirche are known for hand-carved wooden figures — and the Adventkränze (Advent wreaths) with four candles in homes, churches, and shop windows citywide.
6. Glide Across the Wiener Eistraum Ice Rink
The Wiener Eistraum — "Vienna Ice Dream" — transforms Rathausplatz into one of Europe's most romantic skating venues, with rinks winding through floodlit park trees. It opens November 13 and runs until January 6, 2027, with rentals on-site and free children's lessons on select days.
7. Ring in the New Year on the Silvesterpfad
Stay past Christmas? Vienna's Silvesterpfad (New Year's Eve Trail) turns the old town into a giant open-air party on December 31, with stages, waltz lessons, food stalls, and midnight fireworks over the city center — and admission is free.
FAQs: Christmas in Vienna
When do Vienna's Christmas markets open in 2026?
The Christkindlmarkt at Rathausplatz runs November 13 to December 26, 2026 (10:00–22:00, closing 18:30 on Christmas Eve). Schönbrunn opens earliest on November 6 and runs through January 6, 2027. Stephansplatz runs November 6 to December 26.
What is the difference between Punsch and Glühwein?
Glühwein is mulled red wine with spices. Punsch is Austria's sweeter fruit-based punch — fruit juice, tea, rum or amaretto, and Christmas spices — in flavors like orange, apple, and elderberry. When in Vienna, order Punsch like a local.
What are the best day trips from Vienna at Christmas?
Melk Abbey looks stunning dusted with snow (about an hour by train), and Wachau Valley wine villages host small Advent markets. Bratislava, Slovakia, is just an hour away — perfect for a two-city Christmas trip.
How do I avoid the crowds at Vienna's Christmas markets?
Visit on weekday mornings or early afternoons, head to neighborhood markets like Spittelberg, Am Hof, or Freyung instead of Rathausplatz at peak times, and skip the last weekend before Christmas if you can.
Is Vienna expensive at Christmas?
It can be, but most markets are free to enter, lunch menus (Mittagsmenü) at traditional restaurants are far cheaper than dinner, and the 24-hour public transport pass beats taxis. Book hotels by October — December prices climb fast.
Is Christmas in Vienna good for families?
Excellent — the carousel and pony rides at Rathausplatz, craft workshops at Schönbrunn, the ice rink, and the Wintermarkt at Riesenradplatz (November 20, 2026 – January 6, 2027) make Vienna a top family pick.
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