A month of Christmas

Today we're not jumping quite so far into the past, just to the lovely month of December. In some of the larger cities in Germany, the Christmas markets (die Weihnachtsmärkte) last all month long. So I took every opportunity I had to check out some of the Weihnachtsmärkte near me.

Ok, so that's a little bit of a lie. My first Christmas Market wasn't really close to me... I went back down to Bamberg for a weekend to visit with some friends. I stayed with a friend in her fabulous house on a hill - the view over Bamberg is stunning!


The next day, the crisp winter air just begged to be walked around in, so Franzi and I took off to meet up with friends and enjoy a Glühwein.


As you can see, the open-air markets consist of a bunch of stalls selling anything and everything. At one place you'll pick up a paper bag of Schmalzkuchen (little puffs of deep-fried pastry, kinda similar to funnel cakes), at another they're selling hand-made soap, then you'll pass a Glühwein stand before walking past a stall selling little Christmas knick-knacks.

Walking through the market left us all sufficiently chilled and in need of a mug of Glühwein. Glühwein is the German name for hot spiced wine. It's absolutely delicious - red wine with hints of cloves, orange and cinnamon... Mmm. On a cold day, a single mug hits the spot like nothing else.

Unfortunately, around this point in time, it started to rain. Doubly unfortunate, all the standing room with a roof overtop was full. So we improvised and stood in the large Christmas tree next to the stand.

On another weekend, this time a little closer to home, I went to the Weihnachtsmarkt in Celle. Celle is already a beautiful historic city with some houses dating from the 1500's. Add a Christmas market, with it's lights and garlands and tantilizing smells, and it becomes absolutely picturesque. In one corner is the "Old Market" set up to look like it's popped out of the middle ages. There was a blacksmith and a man carving rocks, an old set of stocks... It was a neat little place to look at.

Here are a few shots of the streets decorated for the Weihnachtsmärkte:

This is a shot of a Glühwein stand. The structure itself is a large version of a traditional German Christmas decoration. Set on a windowsill or mantle, the candles themselves would be lit and the hot air would cause the fan up top to slowly spin.

Here we are again, at the Hannover Christmas Market, enjoying a Glühwein amidst the hustle and bustle of people enjoying themselves at Christmas time.

"Frohe Weihnachten und ein gutes Neues Jahr" everyone :)