Christmas pyramids combine the lovely ambiance of candles with winter or holiday motifs handcrafted from wood set in motion. Discover the best German Christmas pyramids to adorn your holiday display with this year.
Naturally, nothing is more on-theme for Christmas than a nativity scene, and this pyramid features the Holy Family, wisemen, and animals.
Richard Glaesser is one of the best-known producers of Christmas pyramids, using traditional turned wood figurines made in Seiffen, Germany. This pyramid comes from that tradition, with a muted and natural color palette with simple snowflake and star decorations.
The outer ring of this one-tier design features those who would come to greet the infant Jesus, while Joseph, Mary and the baby appear on an inner ring. This pyramid measures 10.5 inches tall and nine inches wide and uses four taper-style candles.
If you’re looking for a two-tiered design, but don’t want to go with a large option, this pyramid achieves both of these goals.
Here, a parade of festive children including carolers and gift givers occupy the bottom, larger tier. Above them, St. Nicholas watches over them with a bag of gifts on his back. A pair of Christmas trees accompanies him on the second spinning tier.
This pyramid is handmade in the Erzgebirge region, with a slightly more modern look than some other options. The way the upper arms are shaped reminds more of wooden toys made now to look vintage rather than the simple, stockier designs.
This one measures nine inches tall and seven inches across. It uses tealights for candles.
For a time, the only Christmas ornaments I collected were those with penguins involved. If this fits you, too, this is the Christmas pyramid to buy.
This one-tier pyramid features a penguin family fishing in the would-be pools where the tealights go. I love the detail of the icicle ridges carved into the upper arms and that one of the penguins is incubating an egg.
Overall, the much more neutral wood color sets off the paint on the penguins nicely. Only the penguins on the inner small tier rotate, while the one actively fishing is stationary.
If you want something to complement your angel tree topper, this pyramid offers a unique approach to the two-tiered layout.
Created by the company of second-generation woodworker Christian Ulbricht, whose family was forced to leave the Erzgebirge for Bavaria following World War II, this pyramid offers a few more details than some of the simpler ones on this list. The mobile of angels above is a part of the rotor but still forms an effective spinning tier.
On the first tier, Santa walks through an evergreen forest, joined by a few deer. I especially like the detail on Santa’s hat and coat and the gold of the bell adds a nice touch. Santa and his deer friends remain stationary as the angels fly overhead for a somewhat subtle overall effect.
This pyramid measures 10.5 inches tall by 10 inches wide and uses tealights.
If you want something larger for your Christmas display, this might be the perfect option for you.
While it doesn’t feature anything overtly Christmas-themed, it does recall the Victorian era, which often does invoke feelings of Christmas. Depicted is the city of Dresden, complete with city buildings and a horse-drawn carriage. The details are lovely, including the man doffing his cap in greeting, the streetlights, and the painted windows of the building.
The inner ring turns on this larger piece, which features four townspeople and an obelisk monument to the city. This would be a good addition to a larger set seeking to recreate this era of Christmas.
This pyramid measures 14 inches tall and about 13 inches wide. It uses tealights.
If bigger is better for your holiday display, you’ll want to consider a three-tiered design like this one from Richard Glaesser.
Here we have not only a festive motif, but festive colors and two larger spinning tiers. This whole creation invokes Santa’s workshop, especially on the bottom tier where the man himself, a toy train set, and a sleigh full of gifts appears.
The second tier features toy figurines, including a toy soldier, while the top stationary tier features more of those famous Christmas trees. The white, gold, and red colors help this stand apart from other choices.
While this pyramid is pictured with white candles, we suggest red tapers to complete the look. This measures 17 inches tall, 11 inches deep, and 12.5 inches tall.
If you want something both large and austere, this pyramid makes a fine monument to the season.
What’s most striking about this one is that the overall form gives it the impression of a cathedral in and of itself. The top static tier serves more as a function of the construction and looks like a bell tower on a church and hides much of the spinning rod.
Speaking of bells, they adorn the arches of the lower tiers bringing a hint of gold, which itself is more starkly contrasted with the dark brown pillars anchoring the fence pieces. The larger pillars supporting each level also have a subtle, but interesting construction.
The middle tier features sheep and the shepherd, while the bottom teir features the Holy Family along with those bringing gifts to Jesus.
The whole pyramid is 13 inches tall and nine inches wide. White tapers will work nicely with this.
Here’s another lovely option for a three-tiered, Nativity-focused Christmas pyramid, this time from the German workshop of Henry Brubaker.
Gold accents are once again employed, this time set off from natural wood tones. The detail work on the panels is a nice differentiator for this pyramid, as is the stationary top tier of angels. Familiar Nativity characters fill the two moving levels.
Perhaps the best part about this one, particularly relative to the price, is that it measures a generous 18 inches tall. Great as the centerpiece for your display.
Assembly is minimal and easy, and I especially like the fact that is uses six candles, which should ensure that it works in a variety of spaces. It uses tapers rather than tealights.
If you want something simple, perhaps for your desk at work, this option might fit the bill for you. Rather than having moving levels, the motion on this one is confined just to the blades at the top. It’s enough to draw interest, but not distract.
The scene is a simple one with a snowman tending to his bird house. Two birds and a small forest worth of trees complete the view. The color palette is entirely earth tones for a simple but enjoyable pyramid.
This measures eight inches tall and uses tealights.
If you want something on this theme but a little more involved, try the Alexander Taron Dregeno Snowman In Forest Pyramid, which is seven inches tall and places the snowman, some trees, and a bunny on the moving platform.
Combining a large, three-tier pyramid with a snowman in the forest theme, this offering by Richard Glaesser measures 19 inches tall. That makes it the second tallest option on this list, so if the guiding criterion in your search is height, this is a great option.
The scrollwork detail on the fences for each level is a nice touch, as is the inclusion of those signature Christmas trees. There are no added colors on this aside from the details on the snowmen and deer, giving this a warmer overall effect.
While it’s the most expensive on our list, this one is also one of the most unique. First of all, this pyramid is not only four tiers, all four move together, unlike other options where the top tier is fixed.
Due to the number of tiers, it’s also the tallest on our list, measuring 26 inches. This will stand out in any dedicated display and certainly as a centerpiece on your dinner table. Additionally, the construction is more robust, with a solid wood base and vertical frame pieces.
Thematically, this is again focused on the Nativity, though an another measure of uniqueness comes from the placement of the tealight candles which power it. Rather than all appearing in a ring on the bottom level, these appear at varying heights, which means that the candle light accents may be more visually interesting, depending on your taste.
This is a substantial creation worthy of your holiday collection.
This Christmas pyramid focuses on a simple Nativity scene beneath a uniquely constructed tree. Here the Holy Family are joined by the three wisemen around the tree, all of which are constructed from wood of various tones.
Detail work is somewhat minimal, allowing the contrasting wood pieces to shine. This candle carousel measures 12 inches tall and uses taper candles.
While not overtly tied to Christmas, the form of this candle carousel invokes a snowy forest scene. Rather than being a structure with the symbolic elements within, the frame of this takes the shape of the trees, with the feet the roots beneath.
On the single moving tier, carved deer rotate around a tree carved into the center. Compared to the wealth of Nativity options out there, this is certainly a unique take on the form and the color choices help it stand apart from the others, too.
You’ll need four candles for this 14 inch pyramid.
There are more traditional takes on this concept, too, including options from Muller and Dregeno Seiffen.
If you’re looking for something a little more fun, consider this offering from Brubaker. On this one-tier design, kids play in the snow along with a snowman and a figure that could be considered Santa.
Snowflakes adorn the upper arms and the blades of the mill, while all the figures have hand-painted detail. This measures 12 inches by eight inches and uses four taper-style candles.
While the tradition holds that these Christmas candle carousels should come from Germany, it would be wrong to leave the king of Christmas, Kurt Adler, out of consideration. Many of his creations appear on our best tree toppers post because the company makes a lot of cool holiday gear.
Additionally, this is among the least expensive options out there, especially when you consider that the four candles you need are included in the package.
The scene itself is the Nativity play, with the wisemen circling the Holy Family and angels in the upper level of the Alpine-style house. I like the robust evergreen trees outside as a detail you don’t see on these very often. It measures 12 inches tall.
