Bye bye Weihnachtsmarkt

Xmas is over and a new year has begun. Every year I am stunned about it, how quickly these Xmas holidays go by. Soon, all Xmas treees and Xmas decoration will be removed from the homes, the offices, the shops, and city center. Soon, the cosy winter atmosphere that could be felt wherever you were, will be over again. Of course, it cannot be Xmas the wshole year round, but I experience the disappearing of all those lights, the bells, the candles with a light feeling of sadness.

When I just moved to Germany, there was one German tradition that I considered with some scepticism: the so called "Weihnachtsmarkt", or Xmas market. A few weeks before Xmas, usually with the beginning of the "advent", in almost all German cities and villages small stalls are built of in the center of town, in which Glühwein (hot, spiced wine), German snacks like "Reibkuchen" (a deep fried flat piece of a specially prepared potatoe dough) with aplle mouse, and nick-nacks are sold. Almost everyone goes to the Xmas market, preferably in the evening to enjoy a glühwein or two and socialise a bit.
The first time I went there, I did not really understand what was so enjoyable about standing in the freezing cold to have a drink. But, after three years of living here, I have come to appreciate this typical German tradition. The evening atmosphere on a warmly lit Xmas market on the central square of an old German town is an experience not to miss, if you happen to visit Germany in the weeks before Xmas.