With the holiday season approaching, Adams County’s two Christmas Haus shops are busy bringing the authentic spirit of German Christmas to locals and tourists alike.

The two shops are located at 13 Baltimore St. in Gettysburg and at 110 Lincoln Way W., on the New Oxford Square.

Shop owner Roger Lund said the first shop in New Oxford opened in 2002 and the business then expanded into Gettysburg in 2018.

“What started out as a small general store in the Washington D.C area has evolved into this gem in Gettysburg,” said Dylan Rabold, the Gettysburg store manager.

Rabold said the Gettysburg shop had a wide variety of customers. “People from all over the country come to see us regularly because we are what they consider to be one of a kind. We have a certain flair for uniqueness,” said Rabold. 

This “flare” that Rabold touches on can be seen in the quality products that are either locally-made or imported from small towns in Germany. The ornaments are made by small family owned businesses that have been practicing glass blowing methods since the early 1500’s. 

The focus on authentic German decorations goes hand in hand with the shop’s dedication to making sure that everything they sell is of the highest quality. 

“Suppliers started taking their manufacturing out of Europe and into China and the quality started to suffer,” said Rabold. “But the one thing that remained the same was the German Christmas items so it kind of blew up into kind of a Christmas niche and has been that way for 18 years now.”

The two shops are working to maintain and even expand their customer base during the pandemic. “Both locations are doing great. Customers feel comfortable coming in. It’s been a win-win for us to face the COVID situation head on,” said Lund. We have hours for seniors and an enormous online business.”

Rabold said the Gettysburg shop is dedicated to making sure the Christmas spirit is just as present in 2020 as it has been in any other year and is working hard to plan events for locals and visitors in a safe manner. 

“With the current Gettysburg Christmas festival being in a different set up this year, we are planning events that we can hold every weekend,” said Rabold. “My favorite part about Christmas is not so much the decorations but that it turns people into better versions of themselves.”