Nuremberg's Christmas Market is apparently one of the most famous as well as one of the oldest. There seems to be some dispute as to when the city’s first Christmas Market was held, with the first official record of this pre-Christmas market dating to 1628. I did read elsewhere that the market was a bit older than that. Either way, got it…it goes back about 400 - 450 years.
The streets leading to the market area attractively decorated with white poles bearing Christmas symbols, garlands of fir, and pretty lights.
In the market center, there is a Nativity crib (Nativity scene) with its wooden figures telling the Christmas story. Surrounding this, there are over 250 booths and stalls decorated with branches of fir and lit by lanterns. Most booths sell Christmas decorations, toys, and ornaments (yes, I bought several of the old-world ornaments),
gold-foil angels (here are photos of some of the large marketplace angels but smaller versions of these are for sale),
Zwetschgenmaennle, little prune figures made of dried fruit and crepe paper (now, I can’t understand why these are popular at Christmas, what people do with them, nor how long they last),
spicy Lebkuchen (gingerbread of sorts), and
one or two Santa Clauses (I am personally partial to Kris Kringle and his canine elf).
Now, sometime in mid December, the Nuremberg Christkind (Christ Child), will be presented and will recite a prologue from the balcony above the entrance to the Frauenkirche (Church located in the own square). Buddy and I were too early for this event, but we did catch some Christmas music, courtesy of a local brass band. Christmas music with an German oompah sound – you gotta love it.
A few night shots of the Nuremberg Christmas market…
BTW: More on the food of the Christmas Market - that deserves a post of its own. As well as other Nuremberg scenes in the snow. So picturesque.
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