Christmas Market

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Christmas Market

A Christmas market, also known as Christkindlmarkt, Christkindlesmarkt, Christkindlmarket, and Weihnachtsmarkt, is a street market

Street market

A Street market is an outdoor market such as traditionally held in a market square in a market town, and are often held only on particular days of the week....
associated with the celebration of Christmas

Christmas

Christmas , also referred to as Christmas Day, is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25 that commemorates the birth of Jesus. The day marks the beginning of the larger season of Christmastide, which lasts Twelve Days of Christmas....
during advent

Advent

Advent is a Liturgical year of the Christianity, the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus; in other words, the period immediately before Christmas....
, mainly the four weeks preceding Christmas Day. These markets originated in Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
and Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west....
but are now being held in many other countries.

history of Christmas markets goes back to the Late Middle Ages

Late Middle Ages

The Late Middle Ages is a term used by historians to describe history of Europe in the periodization of the 14th and 15th centuries . The Late Middle Ages were preceded by the High Middle Ages, and followed by the Early modern Europe ....
in the German speaking part of Europe.

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History

The history of Christmas markets goes back to the Late Middle Ages

Late Middle Ages

Dresden

Dresden is the capital city of the Germany Federal Free state of Saxony. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon triangle metropolitan area....
Christmas market - first held in 1434 is often (incorrectly) said to be the oldest Christmas market. It attracts between 1.5 and 2 million visitors a year and has over 60 stalls. It is very unlikely that Dresden market is really the oldest as the city was a small town in 1434 and other cities earned market rights. One example is Bautzen

Bautzen

Bautzen ; Polish language: Budziszyn ); is a city in eastern Free State of Saxony, Germany, and capital of the Bautzen . It is located on the Spree River....
Christmas market which was first mentioned in records in 1384. The Vienna

Vienna

Vienna is the Capital of Republic of Austria and also one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.7 million...
"December market" was a kind of forerunner of the Christmas market and dates back to 1294.

In many towns in Germany and Austria, Advent

Advent

Advent is a Liturgical year of the Christianity, the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus; in other words, the period immediately before Christmas....
is usually ushered in with the opening of the Christmas market or "Weihnachtsmarkt". In southern Germany and Austria it is also sometimes called a "Christkind(e)l(s)markt" (South Ger.

German language

German is a West Germanic languages, thus related to and classified alongside English language and Dutch language. It is one of the world's world language and the most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union....
, literally meaning "Christ child market"). Generally held on the town square and adjacent pedestrian zones, the market sells food and drink from open-air stalls with other seasonal items and traditional singing and dancing. On opening nights (and in some towns more often) onlookers welcome the "Christkind

Christkind

Das Christkind , pronounced /k??stk?nt/, is the traditional Christmas gift-bringer in regions of Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Hungary, parts of Hispanic America, in certain areas of southern Brazil and in the Acadiana region of Louisiana....
", or boy Jesus, acted out by a local child.

Attractions and stalls

Popular attractions at the market include the Nativity Scene

Nativity scene

File:Presepe naples rome2.jpgA nativity scene is a depiction of the nativity of Jesus as described in the gospels of Gospel of Matthew and Gospel of Luke....
(a crèche or crib), Zwetschgamännla (figures made of decorated dried plums), Nussknacker (carved Nutcracker

Nutcracker

A nutcracker is a mechanical device for cracking nut . Usually they work on the principle of moment s as described in Archimedes' analysis of the lever....
s), Gebrannte Mandeln (candied, toasted almonds), traditional Christmas cookies such as Lebkuchen
Lebkuchen

Lebkuchen is a traditional German-speaking Europe product baked for Christmas, somewhat resembling soft gingerbread. Similar cookies have a history that extends back to the Egyptians, but the style of the traditional Lebkuchen was probably invented by Middle Ages monks in Franconia, Germany in the 13th century....
and Magenbrot (both forms of soft gingerbread

Gingerbread

Gingerbread is a sweet that can take the form of a cake or a cookie in which the predominant flavors are ginger root and raw sugar....
), Christstollen (Stollen
Stollen

A Stollen is a loaf shaped fruitcake, powdered with icing sugar on the outside. The cake is usually made with chopped candied fruit and/or dried fruit, nuts and spices....
), a sort of egg bread with candied fruit, Bratwurst

Bratwurst

A bratwurst is a sausage composed of pork, beef, or veal.The name is German language, derived from Old High German br?twurst, from br?t- which is fine chopped meat and -wurst, sausage....
, and for many visitors one of the highlights of the market: Glühwein, hot mulled wine

Mulled wine

Mulled wine, variations of which are popular around the world, is wine, usually red, combined with spices and typically served warm. In the old times, wine often went bad....
(with or without a shot of brandy

Brandy

Brandy is a distilled_beverage produced by Distillation wine, the wine having first been produced by Fermentation grapes. Brandy contains 36%?60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink....
), or Eierpunsch
Eierpunsch

Eierpunsch is the German language name given to a warm, sweetened alcoholic, egg-based drink similar to eggnog. It is commonly a winter drink and can be found served in the popular Christmas markets of Germany and Austria....
(an egg-based warm alcoholic drink). Both help stave off the cold winter air which sometimes dips below freezing. Many other handmade items, toys, books, Christmas tree decorations and ornaments (and in recent years less useful gadgets) can be found at a Christkindlmarkt..

Markets around the world

Famous Christmas markets are held in the cities of Erfurt

Erfurt

Erfurt is a city in central Germany. It is the Capital of the state of Thuringia with a population of 202,929 . Erfurt is located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of N?rnberg and 180 km SE of Hannover....
, Nuremberg

Nuremberg

Nuremberg is a city in the Germany State of Bavaria, in the Regierungsbezirk of Middle Franconia. It is situated on the Pegnitz River river and the Rhine?Main?Danube Canal and is Franconia's largest city....
, Dresden

Dresden

Stuttgart

Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-W?rttemberg in southern Germany. The list of cities in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 590,429 while the metropolitan area referred to as Stuttgart Region has a population of 2.7 million ....
and Augsburg

Augsburg

Augsburg is an Independent City city in the south-west of Bavaria. The College town is home of the Regierungsbezirk Swabia and also of the Swabia and the Augsburg ....
making them popular tourist attractions. The Nuremberg and Dresden markets draw about two million people each year; the Stuttgart market attracts more than three million visitors.

Strasbourg

Strasbourg

Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace Regions of France in northeastern France. With 702,412 inhabitants in 2007, its metropolitan area is the Aire urbaine....
, France

France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
has been holding a Christmas market, "Christkindelsmärik

Christkindelsmärik, Strasbourg

Christkindelsm?rik is a Christmas market held annually in Strasbourg, France, near Strasbourg Cathedral....
," around its cathedral since 1570, when it was part of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation

Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire was a union of territories in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and the Early modern Europe under a Holy Roman Emperor....
.

Christmas markets are traditional in Alsace

Alsace

Alsace is the fourth-smallest of the 26 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the sixth-most densely populated region in France , with 222 inhabitants per km? ....
(an area of France with a heavy German influence) and most of the towns have their local Christmas market. Large Christmas markets are held in Leeds

Leeds

Leeds is located on the River Aire in West Yorkshire, England. It is the urban core and administrative centre of the wider metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds....
and Birmingham

Birmingham

Birmingham is a city status in the United Kingdom and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. Birmingham is the most populous of England's English Core Cities Group, and is the List of United Kingdom cities by population British city after London, with a population of 1,010,200 ....
, England

England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
, with visiting traders from Frankfurt. These markets claim to be the biggest continental-style Christmas market outside Germany and Austria with over 90 stalls in 2007. Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and List of largest United Kingdom settlements by population in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's Scottish Lowlands....
, Manchester

Manchester

Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. Manchester was granted City status in the United Kingdom in 1853....
, Lincoln

Lincoln, Lincolnshire

Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of around 101,000 - the 2001 census gave the entire urban area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
and Nottingham

Nottingham

Nottingham is one of the three major city status in the United Kingdom in the East Midlands and is in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England....
also hold similar markets. German immigrants also brought the Christmas market celebrations to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
.