Christmas Eve - a Sunday this year These shops open on December 24 in Bonn
Bonn · This year, Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday, which means most shops will remain closed in Germany. But some will open their doors - we tell you which ones.
If you are used to buying your Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve, you need to change your plans: Christmas Eve is a Sunday and thus most shops in Germany will remain closed. Only shops providing items for everyday use are allowed to open - like grocery stores, supermarkets, bakeries, butchers and pastry shops. Christmas tree selling is allowed on December 24. Shops for electric goods, DIY stores and all shops that would potentially sell gifts and presents, have to remain closed. The reason: German shop opening laws for Sundays restrict opening opportunities, regardless if it is Christmas Eve or not. Those laws differ between federal states though.
There might be very few exceptions granted by the North Rhine-Westphalian Government. But there will be no Open Sunday on December 24, 2017.
The shop owners who are allowed to open their shop doors on Sundays can decide individually if they will open or not on Christmas Eve.
Discounters Aldi South and Lidl will not open on Christmas Eve. The companies want to allow their employees to have a stress-free Christmas. Also, supermarket chain Kaufland will remain closed on December 24 this year.
Rewe and Penny both announced that their employees do not have to work either on December 24. Only the independent shops of the company chains can open. They will decide individually. Rewe Rahmati at Pützstraße in Bonn-Kessenich will not open on Christmas Eve.
The Rewe-To-Go shops in the Aral filling stations at Godesberger Allee and Potsdamer Platz will be open. The branch in the city centre will even be open from 9am until midnight.
The regional head of Edeka Rhein-Ruhr doesn’t make the decision for their independent branches, said a spokesperson, but most shops in North Rhine-Westphalia will likely stay closed. The non-independent branches like the one in Bonn-Dottendorf won’t open on Christmas Eve.
The Edeka branches Kipping and Fuchs are still considering if they will open on Christmas Eve, the others will stay closed.
No decision has been made at Real and Netto yet. They will inform their employees and customers as soon as it can be confirmed if the shops will open on December 24 or not.
(Original text: Alexandra Mölleken, Sebastian Knauth and Sofia Grillo / Translation: Mareike Graepel)
