The Christmas season may not be so bright this year if German markets decide to turn down the holiday lights this year in order to save energy.
Key Details
- Several European countries are responding to the energy crisis by cracking down on Christmas lights.
- Spain and Portugal have all agreed to limit or turn off Christmas lights for the duration of the crisis—and Swiss department stores have agreed to limit their light displays. Now Germany may follow in their footsteps.
- “Could a dimmer Christmas actually be better this year, as Europe struggles with skyrocketing energy bills and gas supply shortages? One environmental advocacy group in Germany thinks so. Deutsche Umwelthilfe has called on the government to urge citizens to turn off their Christmas lights to save energy,” says EuroNews.
- “Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH), a politically independent, non-profit organization that has been advocating for the protection of the environment and a sustainable lifestyle for the past 40 years, says Christmas lights in houses, flats, and cities should be unplugged this year.”
- Christmas lights require a lot of energy. Consumption increased to 623 million kWh last year, which EuroNews reports is the annual consumption of a city of 400,000 people.
Why it’s news
Public Christmas light displays may just be another victim of the ongoing energy crisis.
As we previously reported, the EU is facing an ongoing energy crisis due to the war in Ukraine. The recent shutdown of the Nordstream pipeline has contributed to Europe’s ongoing energy crisis, creating skyrocketing energy prices, harming small businesses, forcing the nationalization of industries, and creating a need to find energy-dependent solutions.
Germany is taking some of its harshest negative consequences with nearly 16,000 businesses failing as a result of crushing energy expenses.
“The German government has already introduced several measures to save energy this winter, including lowering maximum room temperatures in public and office buildings and switching off the lights of the capital’s monuments, including the famous Brandenburg Gate,” says EuroNews.
Notable quote
“We are not calling for Christmas markets to be canceled. These can and should also be able to take place this year. But a festive mood does not include orgies of light and illumination as in earlier years… A contemplative mood is perhaps even more likely to arise if [we are more selective with our decorations in] this special time of year,” says DUH managing director Jürgen Resch.