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| Benjamin [inactive] |
Christmas MarketsAre there Christmas markets where you live? If so, what are they like?We don't have English Christmas markets in England (at least not much anymore), but in recent years, German Christmas markets have become very popular in this country — this year more than ever. I've just been to the German Christmas Market in Birmingham this evening — it's fantastic! Basically, the main central square and part of the main shopping street in Birmingham city centre are currently dominated for most of December by this huge Christmas market which has come over from Germany. It was so busy that you could hardly move — thousands and thousands of people from Birmingham crowding around to buy bratwurst, sauerkraut, German beer, pretzels and stollen, as well as various German-style Christmas souvenirs, decorations and gifts. There was (mostly) German Christmas music playing into the background, and I was able to speak German to the stall-owners as well. Apparently, it's the largest authentic German Christmas market outside of Germany and Austria. It makes me feel kind of 'homesick' from Germany, actually. 
Here are some pictures that I've found. These must've been taken earlier in the month, because it is much busier now: 
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| Shouga |
Our German market is very small. There were huts like the huts in those pictures, all lined up the streets, selling stollen and other German food. They sold a lot of meat. | ||
| fab |
the chrsitmas markets are a german tradition. In france the most famous one is of course the one in Strasbourg. Since a few year most big cities have try to copy it but I think it generally lacks the specific chritmas market atmosphere that you could find in Germany.
I think that christmas tree was also of german origin and then had spred in the world, although I'm not completly sure. |
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| Shouga |
Ha! Very interesting you should say that. It was a monk from Crediton, Devon who started the tradition of Christmas trees - more information is here: http://www.christmasarchives.com/trees.html. He travelled to Germany to teach about God, using the shape of a triangle to describe the Holy Trinity. As the fir tree is in a triangular shape, people began to revere it as God's Tree. As I am actually from Crediton, Devon (oops, there goes all of my internet anonymity), I know quite a lot about this tale. Our church is especially dedicated to this monk, who is called Saint Boniface, and we even have a Saint Boniface centre next to the church. |
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| Pauline |
I've heard also that the christmas tree was of german origin. we've christmas markets here and they look like the pictures benjamin has put on his mesage : the little huts.i didn't never visited a market in germany so I can't compare it. Here the little towns have a christmas market as well, not only the big cities (wallonie havn't big cities LOL !!) | ||
| Pauline |
sorry shouga ! i've written my message before i've read your infos about the tree. | ||
| Shouga |
That's okay! I wonder if those types of huts are in every German market... |
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| Joanne |
There is a Christmas market in Bryant Park, which is near my office in Manhattan. I have a feeling it's not as big as the ones you have in England, Benjamin, but I have to admit, I have gotten a lot of Christmas shopping done in this little area during lunch breaks. (I also manage to sneak in a few minutes of ice skating at The Pond, which is in the center of the park and a lot less crowded than the famous skating rink in Rockerfeller Center.) Anyway, here are some pictures of the Christmas Market, which I borrowed  from bryantpark.org :
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| Julian |
Joanne, do you ever venture down to Chelsea? That's where I stay/work when I'm in NY, over on 8th and the low 20s (I won't say exactly where just in case the stalkerazzi are trying to find me .  )
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| Joanne |
Oh, don't worry, I get it about the stalkerazzi. They've gotten me and the hubby twice. Anyways, I was in Chelsea last week for Christmas parties, Julian  When did you start working and living there? I thought you were exclusively in LA!
When I was in school, I also lived Chelsea (the upper teens on 9th). For about two seconds, though. I quickly became sick of my four soap operatic roommates, and moved to a rathole off Houston in the East Village
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| Uriel |
I've seen stores that specialize in Christmas products year-round (there's a weird concept), but the only Christmas markets i've ever seen where in Germany. We do have seasonal crafts fairs and such where people sell Christmas items, but nothing on the scale of what you all are talking about. | ||