Winter draws closer each day, bringing with it not just cold temperatures but also Germany’s most popular and beloved holiday: Weihnachten! Here, the festive mood and decorations do not wait until December. Rather, they arrive a whole month early!
This year, I celebrated Thanksgiving with a dinner hosted by the AJY (American Junior Year) in Heidelberg program. It meant a lot to still be able to observe this part of our home culture, even while an ocean away, and to celebrate in the company of friends. However, while we ate turkey and pumpkin pie, the general German population carried on as though this were any other day of the year — because, for them, it was. Thanksgiving is not celebrated in Germany, which also means that there is no “border” marking when it is appropriate to begin preparing for Christmas. In other words, the typical sentiment of “no Christmas music until after Thanksgiving” does not exist here. But, something else does happen at the end of November: the Christmas markets open.
Germany is famous for its beautiful and plentiful Christmas markets, some of which remain until the beginning of the New Year. On Monday, November 24th (the first day it opened), as soon as class had finished, a handful of other AJY students and I explored the Heidelberger Weihnachtsmarkt for the first time. The numerous stalls boast plenty of businesses and shops to search for ornaments, knick-knacks, and gifts as well as all sorts of street food from different countries. (I myself have eaten crepes, pretzels, pasta, langos, and more). During day and night alike, the streets bustle with people, many holding mugs of the famous, seasonal Glühwein (mulled wine).
Decorations add to the festive spirit. Holiday lights are strung over the streets themselves, lighting up the market when the sun goes down. The tall, wooden Christmas pyramid is easily recognizable as it rotates high over the heads, and, of course, there is always a Tannenbaum (Christmas tree). Aside from that, the Heidelberger Weihnachtsmarkt has three carousels as well as an ice-skating rink, which I visited one night with a couple of friends.
Aside from Heidelberg, my friends and I have taken a couple of day-trips to visit the markets in other cities, as well. We first visited Schwetzingen, whose market happens to be located directly in front of the castle there. Then, last weekend, we traveled to Strasbourg, France, which hosts one of the most famous Christmas markets in all of Europe and is referred to as the Capital of Christmas. In Strasbourg, there were so many people visiting the market that, at times, one could not move within the thick crowd between the stalls.
The markets are widespread, enormously popular, and eagerly anticipated each year. They are a truly beloved tradition and cultural phenomena which brings a festive mood that one can genuinely feel. Visiting these markets has been one of my favorite experiences in Germany so far.