A European Adventure
December 16th, 2018
Santa’s helpers at Gendarmenmarkt.
Christmas is in the air in Berlin. The city is crawling with Christmas Markets while lit trees can be seen in most of the windows. There was even snow in the air yesterday afternoon for a brief moment. Berlin is beautiful during the holiday season and it’s a joy to celebrate Christmas this year with a bit of an old world twist.
On Friday we celebrated the season at Logan’s school. The kids put on a little singing performance with holiday treats and snacks for the parents and then we migrated downstairs to the courtyard for some Glühwein [spiced hot wine served during the Christmas season] and more treats. The school does a great job of getting everyone involved.
As we mentioned for the last few weeks, Christmas Markets have been popping up everywhere. They’ve even been in the news lately with the tragic shooting in France. While sad and dreadful, the majority are safe and wonderful places to spend an afternoon or evening. The food is delicious and there are always activities to do. In 2008 Doreen introduced Chad to Christmas Markets on his visit to Vienna and we’ve been fans ever since.
Christmas Markets go back to the Middle Ages. The term Christkindlesmarkt, Christkindlmarket, Christkindlimarkt, and Weihnachtsmarkt are literally translated to Christ Child Market but refer to the angelic sprit of the Christmas season. These popular street markets started in the Germanic territories but can be found in many other countries today; we even had a variation in Cambria on the Central Coast of California.
Photo care of Berlin.de
The oldest market in Germany dates back to 1384 and was held in Bautzen, a hilltop town in Eastern Saxony. Probably the most popular market is located in Dresden and dates back to 1434. But Vienna’s “December Market” is the oldest known Christmas Market and dates back to 1298 (the very same market that Doreen first sent Chad to in 2008). The principle of the Christmas Market hasn’t changed much in over 70 years. You start with a glass of Glühwein (red or white) and walk around admiring all the stalls selling hand crafted products while eating sweet and savoury treats and stopping by the many fires to keep warm.
On Sunday we doubled up again and went back to the Weihnachtszeit Christmas Market in order to get Logan on some ice skates for the first time which was a blast. We also wanted to ride the massive ferris wheel and see the city from above. We enjoyed some delicious treats and then came back home to warm up before our second outing.
In the early evening, once the sun was down, we ventured back out but this time to the Weihnachtszauber Gendarmenmarkt. This market sits in between the French & German cathedrals and is one of the most beautiful in the city. The merchants are all top notch and the Glühwein comes from artisan vineyards - the vibe is spectacular. Logan also got to talk to two of Santa’s helpers, the Gendarmenmarkt angles. These fantasy creatures told Logan that they would talk to Santa for him since they were going be having dinner with him tonight. The Christmas magic was alive in Logan’s eyes as they produced some special chocolate. We had a cup of their speciality Glühwein and walked around before heading back home to enjoy some Christmas cartoons.
We leave you this week with some images over the last weeks from Logan’s camera. He’s been busy snapping away.
- Logan’s View -
Until Next Time,
The McNeills
