Christmas Markets

CHRISTKINDLMARKT

On Friday night, I went to my first Christmas market. (Yes, on Halloween I was getting in gear for Christmas.) Halloween is not widely celebrated here in Germany. They have a few costumes in stores, but I only saw a few people dressed up while we were out on Friday.

Since the next big holiday is Christmas, the stores start hawking their Christmas wares in mid October. For anyone who might not know – I am a huge fan of Christmas. You might say, I’m a little Christmas crazy. So the fact that the Christmas season has already started is great for me but not so great for Jim.

The Christmas market we went to was in Bad Honnef, about 20 minutes south of Bonn on the other side of the Rhine. They have their Christmas Market this early so that the other, larger Christmas markets don't overshadow them.

The Christmas Market in Bad Honnef had plenty of food stalls selling sausages, potato pancakes, flammkuchen, bread dumplings in a creamy mushroom sauce, roasted nuts, and waffles. However, I think the market is less about the food and more about the Glühwein which is warm, spiced red wine. I’ve already determined that the Glühwein is only good though if it is (1) cold outside and (2) made from decent wine. If it wasn’t very good wine at the start, heating it definitely doesn’t make it better.

The market had lots of stalls selling ornaments, jewelry, hats & scarves and even specialty cleaners for radiator heaters (very random). There were also a number of fire pits with hay bale seats surrounding them so we could warm up our hands and feet.

The tradition of Christmas Markets started in the late middle ages in Germany and Austria. Almost every town in Germany will have a Christmas Market between now and Christmas. In the smaller towns the Christmas Market might only last a week, but the one in Bonn starts in late Nov. and lasts until the day before Christmas. I’ve heard that the one in Bonn takes over a few different plazas and even has an ice rink. I can’t wait.

I think I will dig out my Christmas decorations today! Sorry, Jim.