Weihnachtsmarkt!

The Germans looooooove Christmas and celebrate it well. Every Saturday before Advent, nearly every city turns a (or many) pedestrian square(s) into a city of wooden stands for an event called the Weihnachtsmarkt, or Christmas market. Unlike christmas markets in the states that stay open for a few hours on a weekend, German Christmas markets are open every day, even on Sundays when traditional shops are closed.

The Christmas market is more than just a place to shop, its a place to connect with other people in the city. You meet up with friends from across town over a steaming glass of Glühwein (mulled wine) and a freshly cooked bratwurst on a warm Kaiser roll. Instead of sitting by a warm fire, you stomp your feet in freshly fallen snow and warm your hands with the stone Glühwein mug. I have never experienced anything like it in the US and I doubt that I ever will again.
The Germans tell me that every Weihnachtsmarkt is different. At first I didn't believe them because Andy and I visited 7 Weihnachtsmarkts in Germany and all we saw were the same ornaments, the same offers of Glühwein mit suss (hot wine with rum) and the same crowds. Now, after taking the time to visit the Marburg Weihnachtsmarkt twice a week, I realize that the markets really do differ greatly, even markets within the same city! Each market designs different stalls (Nuremberg has cloth and wood stands while Bonn has singing animals) and features a special food or treat that distinguishes it from the rest. (Berlin features currywurst) Some markets, like the Kölner Weihnachtsmarkt in front of the Cologne Cathedral, are placed in absolutely stunning locations.

Marburg has two Weihnachtsmarkts, one next to the 600 year old Elisabethkirche and another next to the 500 year old Rathaus (city hall). The market next to city hall draws college students to the only Glühwein stand open after 8pm while the Elisabethkirche market draws families and the over 30 crowd. The stands in the lower part of the city are mostly made of logs while the stands in the other market are mostly planks. Both markets are charming and beckon me to visit often. Even though the Marburg Weihnachtsmarkt is small and somewhat pathetic when compared to the great tourist attractions of Nuremberg and Cologne, I find that it has a charm unequaled by any other. I love visiting the Weihtnachtspyramid (shown to the right with Maria) and I love visiting the Rathaus at night. I will be really sad to see these markets leave in one week. :-(