The Christmas markets, along with many other traditions and sweets, make Advent a really nice time of year in Germany, despite the not-so-fantastic weather. Old town centers and marketplaces decorated with bright lights host residents braving the cold December nights.
I've been to four Christmas markets so far, and each one has its own flair. The Adventskrämchen in Rheda is small and family-oriented.
I walked through the one in Gütersloh, the next town over, and it seemed alright.
The Christmas market in Bonn, the former capital of West Germany, was pretty big, but it seemed to lack a certain atmosphere.
The best one I've been to is the one in Wiedenbrück, called the Christkindlmarkt. It's nestled between historic buildings and takes up the entire plaza in the town center.
All kinds of stands surround the beautiful tree in the center. Our neighbors have a stand in which they sell their copper and glass artwork, there's food stands, drink stands, arts and crafts stands, clothes stands, and, of course, Glühwein stands. Glühwein (literally: glowing wine) is the staple drink of a Weinachtsmarkt. Glühwein is wine combined with spices and served hot, often mixed with liquor. It is delicious and perfect for the aforementioned cold winter nights.
This stand has absolutely delicious baked potatoes. A potato smothered in butter and cheese always hits the spot at the Weinachtsmarkt.
Along with lots of opportunities to eat, drink, and shop, there's a small stage where various oompah bands, singing groups, or brass bands play mostly Christmas music.
They also somehow managed to squeeze a carousel through the small alleys leading to the town plaza. My host parents and I decided that I'm a little too old to ride it, but it really did look like fun...
Wiedenbrück just looks nice at night during this time of year.
I hope everyone is having a wonderful December. Dress warm, don't catch a cold, and feel free to leave a comment!
PS: Do we have anything like a Christmas market in America? I've never seen one but I'm not sure if there is one somewhere.
PPS: What do you think about the new layout? Anyone have suggestions for the appearance of the blog itself or features that I should add?
10 comments:
I appreciate the shout-out, Kevin. The Christmas markets you're describing sound every bit as awesome as the ones I used to go to (and love so dearly) in Hesse and Baden-Württemberg. I remember they would sell some of the most interesting things, some of which, I think, were generally hard to find at most other times of the year. Back when Germany still used the Mark, and even later, when the dollar was still worth more than the Euro (which was pretty much only 2002 and maybe 2003), we Americans used to get such good deals on everything. That aside, the whole experience of the place made it so worthwhile; we would never just go to one. I definitely remember the Glühwein, or else something like it. Like I told you, German food and drinks are simply amazing. I wish I could've visited some of the markets in that region you're in, but I never went up there except when en route to another country. As I recall, the smaller-town markets were generally much cozier and had this endearing homey feel that made it so worth it to be outside in below-0 temperatures. In particular, the older towns have far and away wondrous atmospheres and really interesting things to buy and enjoy the night. The bigger city markets were enjoyable in that curious way an outdoor plaza is fun, or so I thought. While outdoor plazas in various forms can be found in the US (I saw in NYC a few weeks ago), I haven't found any genuine Christmas markets. I suppose one might pretenses at them if one looks hard enough, but like with gyros, it's just not the same. At any rate, isn't something how the music and homey smells and the way the lights tickle the corner of your eye as you walk always seem just right? That reminds me, have you ever seen a castle lighting?
Hey, your new layout is a little bit cold, maybe there is another one with some christmas stuff.
I found a place with nice weather maps at http://www.tagesschau.de/wetter/deutschland/3tage/index.html
Have a nice holiday!
Hello! I'm J. I'm a Freshman learning German at TJ. You were recommended by Frau Vaden. Introduction aside, there are no Christmas markets in America for as far as I can tell. But it sounds really cool that there are little stands, bands, and a carousel. (It's a shame that you could only stare at it instead of riding it :3) Your new layout, no offense, is a bit boring. Too blue and empty. Have some Weihnachts spirit! (I probably mistyped that. I apologize) Now for the completely off-topic news, we made Gingerbread houses today at school. It was a very delicious operation. I hope you have a great day.
J.
I thought that was very interesting about the German Christmas markets, I didn't know much about that. Talking about the baked potato smothered in butter and cheese made me hungry. How cold is it exactly outside at night in Germany? It must be freezing.
Heya Kevin... I haven't been here for quite a while since I was having my exams last month and I was away on post-exam getaways... Yeah! It was fun...
I really like the Christmas atmosphere in Europe... The Christmas markets I have been to were mostly in Austria (Innsbruck and Salzburg)... They are amazing!!! I wish that I have the chance of being in Europe every Christmas...
The new layout is a lil too plain... I'd prefer the old one... hehe... Your pics are amazing as always! Keep them coming... I forgot to add features which you can add to your blog on my previous post... perhaps a chatbox and a map of where your blog has been viewed globally...
Chatbox
http://www.cbox.ws/
ClustrMaps
http://clustrmaps.com/getone.php
What Christmas plans do you have??
Froehliche Weihnachten =)
Joyce (joycelim) from CS
P/S :: Sorry for deleting and reposting... Redundancy I know!
It seems like every other country has some amazing kind of tradition besides America. xP The markets seem really cool.
The layout's a little plain but it has a creamy softness to it. Throw in a picture of a huge coffee mug and it would be awesome. :P
@rek: You put into words what makes a Christmas market so special very well. There are definitely soem things you can only find during Christmas time, like Dominosteine. No, I haven't been to a castle lighting.
@the oxymoron: I'm really looking for a layout to use for awhile, not just a seasonally-themed one.
@j. lee: I could have ridden the carousel, but it would've looked a little bit ridiculous. Thanks for the feedback on the layout. Making gingerbread houses has always been a fun activity for me.
@shaqbiff: Come to think of it, I'm hungry for one of those potatoes right now, too. I'm going back to the market in Wiedenbrück tomorrow, so maybe I'll get one then. It's -2 degrees Celsius right now, which is a little bit below freezing. It's only a little bit colder here than it has been in Northern Virginia recently.
@Joyce: thanks for your comment, feedback, and Christmas wishes. I really wish I were a better photographer. I just find something interesting, point, and shoot. I envy the people who really know what they're doing and have an eye for photography. But I like to put pictures up here because they illustrate the point better than I could in words and I think they make the blog more interesting and easier to read. My favorite picture from the year is either the Columbus statue picture or the picture of the castle next to the Rhine river.
@casey: hey, we've got our own cool traditions! Like caroling, gingerbread houses (imported from Germany), ridiculously awesome Christmas lighting, the National Christmas Tree, and so on. Don't sell our country short! :-P
hi,
this is audrey again
we have a christmas market in chicago every year, it's fairly big and about as authentic as it gets, now that i can compare it to the real one.
@Audrey: that's cool. I didn't know such a thing existed in the U.S. Are there others in cities near Chicago?
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