I have something to admit. I’ve never been a big holiday person. I’m not a total Grinch, but I just don’t appreciate feeling pressured to be jolly. That being said, I have been intrigued by the concept of European Christmas Markets.
I’ve heard so much about these markets over the past few years and did want to see them. But there were two issues:
- I dislike cold weather and cold weather travel. Visiting Europe during Christmas Market season means cold weather travel.
- I wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy the Christmas Markets enough to plan a trip with the sole purpose of visiting them.
So, when I found myself in Europe in November, of course I had to take advantage and visit some Christmas Markets. And even if these markets weren’t on my list, I quickly learned that Europe has a way of forcing you into the holiday spirit during the season.
Here is how:
The Holiday Season starts early in November
People in the US may complain that the holiday season starts earlier and earlier every year. But it’s still widely accepted that the season “officially” starts after Thanksgiving. Of course, there is no American Thanksgiving to wait for in Europe, so the holiday season can start as early as people want.
I arrived in London in mid-November and was somehow shocked to see the streets already decked out with festive lights and holiday decorations gracing every other storefront. Logically, I knew that there was no reason to wait until late November/early December to start celebrating Christmas in a country that has no major federal November holiday. But it still felt so strange.
I soon embraced it and realized that having such a long holiday season helps ease you into the spirit and makes it linger for longer.
Entire Cities Participate
Despite my self-described non-jolly-ness, I couldn’t help but smile and snap photos of the decor adorning the city streets. Something about seeing entire city streets light up with holiday spirit imbues you with that same sense of festivity.
It fosters a sense of community, even if the perception is fabricated. You feel like you’re celebrating the season with the entirety of the city. I dare you to walk through a Christmas Market or even just a central town square in a city or village in Europe and not crack a smile at the holiday decorations.
Christmas Markets are Part of European Culture
Although I visited Christmas Markets in England and Ireland which have a much shorter history than the traditional markets of Germany and Austria, the concept of European Christmas Markets dates back to the Middle Ages. They were first mentioned as “December Markets” as early as 1298. The first true “Christmas Market” dates to 1434 in Germany.
Even back then, the markets were filled with open-air stalls to buy goods, food and drinks. They had traditional singing and dancing. They started in German-speaking Europe and were traditionally found in Central Europe, Germany and France.
In the 1980s, other parts of Europe, including Britain, started embracing the Christmas Market tradition. I think tourism boards started to catch onto the idea that Christmas Markets could be a good draw for tourists during Europe’s wintery off-season when they otherwise might stay away in fear of the cold and damp. Some of them, like the Frankfurt Market in Birmingham, are modeled exactly after German Christmas Markets.
Seasonal Traditional Food & Drinks Play a Starring Role
Today’s market still have open air stalls selling goods, and I believe some also still have singing and dancing. Some may also have rides, for example the market I visited in Galway, Ireland had a ferris wheel and kiddie rides.
However, the real reason to visit the Christmas Markets is the food and drinks. Every market has some standard fare, like brats and mulled wine. Then there are some options that are more local to the region you’re visiting.
Who can say no to a glittering market filled with delicious local and traditional food, and some local arts and crafts?
Would I Return?
Would I go back to Europe during winter? Absolutely. It was lovely to visit during the off season and have the opportunity to see famous sites with low to no crowds. The weather was not nearly as bad as I’d feared. I’d only visited Europe in the off-season once before when I traveled to Montenegro in early November, but it was different to be in the more wintry Western Europe. And it was definitely lovely to see the cities lit up and decorated for the holidays.
Would I return just for the Christmas Markets? Probably not. Though I wanted to visit a few to compare and contrast, I found that at least in the region I was visiting, there were a lot of similarities in the food, drinks, crafts and decorations. The markets themselves can really take as little as 30 minutes or maybe up to two hours max.
If I find myself in Europe in the winter again, I will certainly visit more Christmas Markets. But it wouldn’t be my sole or main reason for traveling.
Though I still want to visit some of the traditional Christmas Markets in Germany and Austria one day.
Have you been to the European Christmas Markets? What did you think?
