Berlin Christmas market at Breitscheidplatz opens early, church objects

For the first time in decades, a major Berlin Christmas market is breaking the rule that such markets should open only after Totensonntag, and it is drawing criticism for it. The Charlottenburg Christmas market at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (Gedächtniskirche) on Breitscheidplatz will open on 13 November rather than 23 November, according to a report by the Tagesspiegel published on 6 November 2026.

The showmen's association (Schaustellerverband) and the AG City are the ones opening the market early. Setup work for around 100 stalls is already well under way.

The pastor of the Gedächtniskirche has criticised the date. The headline of the report quotes a critic as saying, "Das ist respektlos" ("That is disrespectful"). The retail association (Handelsverband) has also distanced itself from the early start.

The report presents the earlier opening as a break with a long-standing convention in Berlin, under which Christmas markets begin only once Totensonntag has passed.