Germany urges citizens to avoid Christmas lights in view of energy crisis

Germany should forgo its tradition of Christmas lighting in cities and private households this year due to the energy crisis, an environment advocacy group said.

“This winter, it should be a matter of course to do without Christmas lights in cities as well as in houses and apartments,” Juergen Resch, managing director of Environmental Action Germany (DUH), told local media on Monday.

Christmas lights in private households in Germany alone consumed as much electricity as a city of 400,000 inhabitants within an entire year.

In view of the Russia-Ukraine war and the resulting energy shortage, as well as for reasons of climate protection, “we should pause for a moment”, Resch said.