Christmas Town


Advertisement
Germany's flag
Europe » Germany » North Rhine-Westphalia » Bonn
November 21st 2010
Published: November 21st 2010
Edit Blog Post

The sights! The sounds! They’re everywhere and all around
I’ve never felt so good before,
this empty place inside of me is filling up, I simply cannot get enough
I want it, oh, I want it, oh, I want it for my own.
I’ve got to know, I’ve got to know, what is this place that I have found.
WHAT IS THIS?
…Christmas town..? Hmmmm…

Tim Burton, The Nightmare Before Christmas


It is over a month yet until Christmas day, yet the sound of Christmas carols has already filled the streets of Bonn. Friday was the first day of the Christmas market, when the little wooden huts littering the main square finally lit their colourful lights and began their festive trade, after a week of agitated preparation. Ranging from tiny wooden constructions to full blown industrial sized kitchens, the market is like a self-sufficient mini-town inside the city, constructed for the sole purpose of entertaining the ever increasing crowd. Red mulled wine, white mulled wine, mulled cider, egg liqueur, Lumumba (hot chocolate with rum) and an endless collection of hot alcoholic drinks that I have never even heard about before is flowing in abundance. Row upon row of stalls selling sausages, burgers, chips, hot buns, chocolate, pastries, crepes and waffles are all competing for the attention of the cheerful crowd. Music, laughter and the smells of freshly fried or baked goods fill the air. Even on its first opening day the market is already swarming with people, old and young, tourists and locals, all eager to breathe in the holiday spirit and indulge in something as comforting as it is unhealthy.

". . . for it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child himself."

Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol



German Christmas markets are just as much for adults as they are for children. And what better way to experience this very German phenomenon than to become part of it? Not just an outside observer, but, wait for it...a waffle maker! It sure is hard work baking waffles for a solid eight hours a day, but I must say it is worth it for the happy little faces I see when I cover the waffle in melted chocolate. And it's not only the youngsters - everyone wants to treat themselves at Christmas, and the innovative "Waffles on a Stick" that I am selling are going at the speed of light. One thing I never thought I would be is a waffle maker at a German Christmas market! It's exciting being at the very heart of the magic and seeing all the hard work that goes into making it run smoothly. There is hardly time to pop out to the toilet and the owner of the neighbouring hut becomes your closest friend, to whom you entrust your entire trade if you are desperate for a break.

Apart from an abundance of comfort food and alcoholic beverages the market is overflowing with Kitsch. Everything from jewellery to scarves, from home made candles to carved animals, from bags to wall decorations can be acquired here as an eye-catching Christmas gift, never to be used again. The stall next to ours sells wooden owls of different shapes and sizes, some of them even equipped with such useful appliances as clock faces. Yet I still haven't seen anyone buy an owl, however entertaining they may be, and I can't imagine ever wanting on needing one. Yes, we do have markets in England, and more so at Christmas than at any other time. But this is nothing like England. Think bigger, think much more choice, think a little world of its own. Think the pure embodiment of Christmas itself and you'll be able to imagine it.

Everyone comes here, to look and to enjoy the atmosphere, to indulge and to forget about rules and restrictions for a while. People buy heart-shaped gingerbreak (or Lebkuchen) on a string with little messages or pictures upon them and wear tem as necklaces. It's more decoration than food, and a certain right of passage at a Christmas market. They bring their children, our most important and valued customers, and those for whom this Christmas fairy tale is real. They bring their parents and reminisce about a time when they were yay tall, staring in awe at the skilled handiwork of the waffle man, or a waffle lady, waiting for their steaming, chocolate covered pastry. They buy sweet little nothings for their loved ones in the countless stalls. And they feel festive. They let Christmas into their hearts. It's the small things that create this jubilant atmosphere, bringing the public together in one magical fairy-tale Christmas Town. Once a year everyone needs this.

Advertisement



3rd December 2010

Bah, Humbug! Except the mulled wine...I do love the German beverages.
10th December 2010

Nice :-)
Hey, nice blog entry. I'm actually from Bonn & obviously I have to agree, brilliant city & a beautiful christmas market :-) x
10th December 2010

Thanks Ju :-) It certainly is beautiful! Although ridiculously cold to work at!!! You should come get a waffle some time ;)
1st June 2011

Cologne Christmas Market
Hey! Great blog entry, is there anywhere in Germany that you recommend for a couple? I heard good things about the Cologne Christmas Market and thought I would give it a try. Do you know if its recommended? Thanks
3rd March 2012

Hey Mark! Sorry I never responded to this - have been ignoring this website somewhat...if you're still looking at German Christmas Markets, I would say Cologne is not the best one. I've heard very good things about Munich and Nuremberg - so more towards the south, and Dresden is supposed to be pretty cool too. But any big town will be worth it - I just don't think the North of Germany is the best part of it...

Tot: 0.088s; Tpl: 0.008s; cc: 12; qc: 51; dbt: 0.0524s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1; ; mem: 1.1mb