The Christmas market in Germany is a special event held only to prepare for a big holiday? Christmas. If anyone has ever spent time in Germany, they certainly cannot forget the memories of the snowy European winter, the past Christmas seasons, the memories of eagerly welcoming the first Christmas with friends, holding someone’s hand or walking alone in the splendid Christmas fair… 

Features of Christmas markets in Germany

Christmas Symbols

And because it is a tradition related to Christmas, the indispensable thing in a Christmas market is a really big Christmas tree placed in the center of the market, with countless splendid and eye-catching decorations, and almost everyone will come close and take a few selfies with the Christmas tree.

Stalls inside a Christmas market in Germany

The most recognizable feature of Christmas Markets in Germany are the stalls on the central streets or squares of a city or town.

Stalls selling baked goods, local specialties such as Printen, Lebkuchen (gingerbread), Berliner Pfannkuchen (Berlin pancakes), Spekulatius (cookies), Christstollen, sweets such as chocolate, cotton candy, roasted almonds, smoked chestnuts and sausages will always be a welcome sight.

Many other stalls sell Christmas tree and home decorations, some handmade, others made in China in glittering paper or plastic. Candles of all kinds, scents and colours are also popular, but the candles are quite expensive, costing tens or even hundreds of euros.

Drinks at Christmas markets in Germany

Inside the German Christmas markets, a special drink that is often sold is Glühwein (hot mulled wine), Feuerzangenbowle, or Punsch (brewed from grape wine, with added spices such as cinnamon and other herbs). Drinking these hot mulled wines in the cold of 0 degrees Celsius feels extremely wonderful! However, they are sweet and hot, so they absorb very quickly, making you drunk right away!

Decorative scene at Christmas market in Germany

In addition to the stalls and sales stalls, another special feature of the Christmas market is the fairy tale scenes used as decorative backdrops for the market.

In addition to some contexts about the birth of the baby Jesus according to the Bible, other contexts have content that is quite familiar to us Vietnamese because they are ancient stories of German-speaking groups that were later collected and assembled by the Grimm brothers into the famous book series “Grimm’s Fairy Tales” ( Grimms Märchen).

However, perhaps many young Vietnamese people will be shocked by the content and ending of these fairy tales, because they are completely different from the happy endings in Walt Disney cartoons! Many of these fairy tales have endings according to local variations that are quite creepy, can they be considered horror stories?

Cultural activities at Christmas market in Germany

Some cultural activities for children are also organized to attract children. They are very diverse in content and form.