Have you ever been to a Christmas market?

New York City has a few that try to emulate the German ones, but don’t think they are so big

Yes OP walked around the Christmas Market in Hamberg years ago. As I come from Downunder found it fabulous and strange at the same time. Loved the atmosphere, but it's still a summer Xmas for me, it's what we get used to.

Strasbourg would be nice.

No I haven't ever been to one. I'd love to go though. I always watch videos about Christmas markets and Christmas customs around the world.

Shopping while drinking, OP.

Your best.

Indeed.

What impressed you the most about it, OP? Have you been to other countries to experience other Christmas celebrations or market?

Too many beheadings.

Have NOT attended a German Christmas Market, but I have attended and enjoyed the Nuremberg Germany “SPARGLEFEST” ( asparagus festival). It was in the town square, set up with booths and “performance” areas like a Xmas market. Totally enjoyed celebrating the harvest of thousands of green and white anthropomorphic vegetable penises.

r6 I've been to the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt is one of the oldest and most famous Christmas Markets in the world. In the wooden booths of “the little city of wood and cloth” one finds traditional, often handmade Christmas decorations and sweet treats such as gingerbread and Spekulatius almond cookies.

It was snowing when I was there and there was a band and dancers performing. Everyone was having such a good time. And, the sausages were to die for.

Thank you R9 (OP).

....

No Germany trips here, but I'll bet their Christmas Markets are a whole lot better than Bryant Park in NYC. Uncomfortably crowded, mostly overpriced junk.

DC has or had (I don't know anymore) a small one near the courthouse. It has some nice stalls and entertainment. Foot of the Portrait Gallery. But we have so many things like this both indoors (in museums and galleries, eg) and outdoors the Christmas market just seems superfluous. Some of the best Christmas shopping is in museums. One of my favorites is the Building Museum with one of the best gift shops.

People do walking videos of xmas markets. Here is the one in London this year.

Went to the Strasbourg one in 2018. I really enjoyed it, and its a quick trip from Paris. Charming old city.

R14, it seems weirdly warm in London in that video

Yes, German Christmas Markets are the best.

Yes! Berlin, Munich, Basel, Nuremberg, Frankfurt and then the various North American ones mentioned in the article. Basel and the big Berlin one were my faves. Nuremberg's was just too huge!

German Christmas Markets are wonderful, and I hope Americans don’t start appropriating them into cheap, tacky, obnoxious, commercialized, Disney-fied party zones.

I’ve only been to US and UK versions and found them to be mostly overpriced crap.

There used to be a Christmas market in the hall in grand central near the main (42nd street) entrance and I loved that. It was lots of craftspeople but the goods tended to be quite pricy. It was for very select customers.

I don’t know if it’s still running. I’m not so sure if I’m thrilled about milling around in the very crowded hall if it is. Well, I’ll see after thanksgiving.

The German ones are the real deal, although the French markets can be very nice, too.

They are opening in just a few days here in Germany, looking forward to buying some tchotchkes one doesn't need.

That London market at r14 looks like food and cheap tourist crap you could find in any souvenir shop in Piccadilly. I haven't been in a German market for 20 years, but it seems the ornaments and toys were much nicer and hand-crafted. Probably, all changed in 20 years. Am I right, R22, r17, r18, r19?

Can you buy the Gluhwein mugs from Christmas Markets in the US or UK?

Does anybody collect those mugs? They look adorable.

We have about 8 of the mugs. Each market in Germany does their own each year.

^I imagine most of the markets do actually.

Does everyone put something different in the cups or is it all basically the same Glögg?.

R23 yes, the markets here sell mostly artisan stuff. Ornaments carved out of wood, imperfect (and therefore charming!) glass figurines, handmade bags, seasonal candles, etc.

Combine that with Glühwein, Bratwurst and other foods and beverage stands, and you have a lovely atmosphere.

I usually only attend two or three markets a year. Once you've visited a few, you're good until next year.

OMG mugs for each year? LOL!

What are the entrance fees? Do most of the vendors take dollars? Is there a dress code, will I look out of place in sneakers and puffy coat?

Well, now I want to go to an Asparagus Festival.

R31 most markets have no entrance fees, as they are situated in public squares.

No, vendors will not take dollars; nobody in Euro-countries wants to be paid in dollars. You pay in Euros.

No dress code: Just be sure you are warm, and wear something thicker than sneakers, as your feet will get cold real quick!

Oh! And make sure you carry CASH on you. Euros, that is.

Most vendors, as they are outside in a little stall, do not have credit/debit card terminals.

Yeah, vendors sell interesting and sometimes unique gifts at the stalls. Worth a look.

This is the fair I went to. Fabulous. Did all my Christmas shopping there and everyone loved the artisan talents.

It's too early for Christmas - it's not even Thanksgiving yet.

Prague has a charming Christmas Market in the Old Town Square. It's got a lovely atmosphere with wooden stalls erected that house Christmas ornaments, handicrafts, candles, traditional Christmas foods and pastries. You can stroll through the square with a hot cup of mulled wine or hot chocolate under a huge Christmas tree decorated in red and gold but be forewarned that the weather in late November and December is COLD! What's great about visiting the Christmas market in Prague is that the city has so much more to offer than just the market. Prague is stunning. A castle visit its a must and there are great concerts at this time of year, wonderful, cozy bars and restaurants and a gay night life if you like that sort of thing!

Chicago has a Christkindlemarket. It opens next week. I went once and it was too fucking cold to enjoy it. Lots of German crafts and Christmas ornaments,

Hate to sound so Scrooge-y but these markets are overcrowded (with selfie-taking instagrammers and families with small annoying children galore), overpriced and the food is mostly ghastly. And many of the trinkets sold there aren't handmade anymore but imported straight from PRC.

I've been to more than my share as I used to travel most of December, often enough through some prime Xmas market. I'm not a big holiday sentimentalist at all, but neither am I a Scrooge, or so I thought, but there are only so many bright red mugs of mulled wine and Weihnachtspyramiden and fucking rosy cheeked Candy Spelling-esque nutcracker dolls a man can take. I go out of my way to avoid Xmas markets now.

^ Scrooge trolls have arrived.

Another Scrooge post. The markets have become very corporate. 90% is made in China crap. I am certain that many markets have the same management with the same stalls and the same merchandise. It is like New York City street fairs that are identical no mater what street they are on. The crowds are awful and the tour groups will trample you without a thought.

Sometimes, it is as if they are are not even trying. In one part of the Munich market there are at least six booths side-by-side, all selling the same creche figures from Italy. The booths were right by Sebastian Wesely, the large creche shop. One might think that one was comparison shopping between booths, but I am certain, no matter what booth, the money all went to Sebastian Wesely.

The mugs are generally a ripoff. Return the mug and get your deposit back. (Yes, you do not have to keep the mug.). Don't buy the decorated Lebkuchen hearts. They look pretty, but taste terrible. Buy a packet of plain Lebkuchen instead.

There are exceptions. Munich has a Medieval Christmas market that is wonderful, small but wonderful. The booths actually have real handmade items. The entertainment is fun: stilt walkers, puppets, etc. On stage, there was a comic magician whose act was built around Medieval torture devices. He was hysterical and an understanding of Germany was not required. This is the one market where the mugs were worth keeping.

Munich also has a Gay Christmas Market. It isn't my thing, but one should go at least once just to experience it.

I thought the Market in Salzburg was much better. Definitely worth a visit.

The best, and the worst markets are in the former East Germany. Dresden is lovely. Leipzig is also nice. In some towns, the Christmas markets can be very tube socks and underwear. They are very much set up for the locals rather than tourists. Of course, the Christmas market of Christmas markets is Seiffen. This is the area where most of the made-in-Germany wooden handwork is made. It isn't just old-fashioned nutcrackers and 11 dot angels. Many of the young people are putting a modern spin on the traditional crafts and doing some really interesting work.

I dislike them. FAKE FAKE FAKE. I love Carnival in Switzerland and Germany, however. They are fun and can also be deeply weird and authentic.

The one in Bryant Park is full of crap and someone got shot or knifed in the skating rink several years ago.

Does Chicago still have that little store in Lincoln Square that sold all kinds of German ornaments?

It’s a trend now. Avoid it.

Are they really a thing that locals enjoy, or is it something that’s hyped up by Americans?

Chicago's is the largest in the US. Vendors come from Nuremburg.

But it's not the gigantic experience of say going to Bronner's in Frankenmuth.

Nor the immersion experience of Leavenworth WA or Helen GA

Yes. The only ones worth mentioning were in Helsinki and the old town part of Tallinn. Now that's a region of the world that knows how to do a Christmas market

Are these markets crazy expensive like the NYC ones?

R51 How was Tallinn?

I've been to several in Europe including a small one in Munich at the Residenz Platz, the big one in Salzburg, several in Vienna, some in Budapest, Bratislava and Prague, and the one at Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen. The Vienna Rathaus was huge and crowded, but enjoyable and festive. Tivioli Gardens was beautiful and magical. Bratislava was so crowded that it gave me anxiety. I thought Prague was boring. But my favorite was Salzburg, mostly because there was a young hottie making crepes in one of the food stalls that I could have watched for hours.

And yes, I have a collection of mugs from the various markets I visited. Not all were for glühwein, though. Some were for other alcoholic punches and drinks. My favorite drink was the Mozart Trinkt at the Salzburg market - warmed Amaretto and Irish Cream served in a tall skinny mug with a Mozartkugel.

It was very interesting, r53. It has this mixture of shabby concrete communist buildings, modern glass and steel vanity projects and old wooden apartment buildings. The Airbnb apartment I stayed was very nice but the outside of the building looked almost exactly like Tyler's house in Fight Club. The city in general was almost as clean as a Scandi capitol but slightly worn out. It seemed like a place in the rise.

The walled old town part of Tallinn is just a bunch 300+ year old buildings with windy cobblestone streets and public squares. Very cute and cinematic. It was in one of these squares where they had the Christmas market. Gaint decorated tree in the center of the square, lots of amber and carved wooden stuff for sale. Affordable city, did not have a single decent thing to eat in the 36 hours I spent there.

I apologize if that's way more information than you wanted lol

R55 No, that was a great summary. I lack wanderlust but at the same time if I did travel, I want to see more of the beaten path stuff. I mean Estonia is not a place you hear about often, I’ve heard a tiny bit of music from there but that’s it.

If you ever have the chance to visit Helsinki then you should take the ferry over to Tallinn for a visit. I think it took about 2 hours. It was nice being in a European city that wasn't swamped with tourists

I went to the one in Manchester, England last year, there was a small section with wooden booths and a bar section where a lot of very drunk people were singing Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline well more screaming it than singing it. And there was a homeless man passed out on the sidewalk next to the booths.

It was horrible!

The ambiance is fine and the food and drink is fine but I don't care for any of the merchandise.

Have been to a few - mostly I think they are an overpriced waste of time, and I strongly dislike being around huge crowds of people for long. But I like the atmosphere of the markets in the Alsace region (Strasbourg, Colmar). Very charming decorations and good food.