Zev and Fi: Come spend the afternoon with me at the Markets...

I walked down to the Esslinger Weihnachtmarkt (Esslingen Christmas Market) today and took some pictures that I would like to share with you. Wish you were with me! I adapted the words below from an article featured in our local military community newspaper. Enjoy!

For one month every year, Germany and its bordering countries are transformed by the many Christmas markets that help light up the dark skies.

Many communities hold Christmas, Advent, Christkindl and Stern Markets during the holiday season, usually beginning around American Thanksgiving holiday and ending between Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

All of these markets started out similar to bazaars, giving the patrons a chance to purchase all of the necessary supplies for the coming cold winter months in one place.

As time went by, the markets became a part of Germany's Christmas traditions.

(How about this stand selling wild game!! I love the roof landscape!!)

This is the cutest stand. A local bakery has mini ovens and tables in a mini kitchen, to teach children how to bake German breads and cookies. Adorable.

The Wild Game Lady.

Today, the markets are less about supplying needs as they are about enjoying the Christmas season, with all of the decorations, treats and wares associated with the holiday.

(Handmade wooden ornaments. Some of them are really extraordinary!)

Traditional Christmas sweet cakes called "Christollen."

"Schutzengel" or Protective Angels.

The smells of fresh roasted almonds, Gluehwein, fresh chestnuts and Lebkuchen (gingerbread) let visitors experience the scents of Christmas before they even arrive at the market's food stalls.

My lunch. Krautschupfnudeln. It was really good!

A typical market will consist of many small, lavishly decorated huts around a special location in the town.

Glassblowers decorate their huts with hand-made ornaments, some of which can be specially made for patrons right at the stand. Other vendors sell the famous wood carvings from the Erzgebirge (Erz-Mountain) or display their candle-lit pyramids (see the giant one above), nutcrackers, nativity scenes and smokers for purchase.

I bought a model of the Esslingen Rathaus from this stand...you will see a picture of it below.

Random picture- but how CUTE is this baby, in this stroller? He was pushing himself up with his hands. I like this stroller. It lets the baby lie on its belly and see the world go by. But I digress.

Ok one more. How CUTE are these little girls all snug-as-a-bug-in-a-rug. You should of see them twist their daddy's hand to have a ride on the merry-go-round. Wait till they are 16, daddy!

(So back to the story): Visitors to the Market can also buy traditional German Christmas Sweets such as Printen (ginger-bread biscuits), Spekulatius (spiced cookies) and Christollen, a bread-like cake covered in powdered sugar (again, see picture above), which are popular "Mitbringsel" (small gifts).

Besides selling the traditional Christmas wares, the Esslingen Christmas Market has a medieval theme.

Visitors will hear lutes, recorders, pipes and other medieval instruments being played as a traveling band makes its way through the streets during the market.

The traveling minstrels are in costume, sometimes on stilts, and dressed as animal characters with flowing robes.

Market patrons can also buy medieval specialties, including instruments and old-time candies such as ginger drops and licorice, or watch artisans, including a blacksmith, ply their craft. (Zev's favorite "artist" at the medieval market is the lady that coordinates the mouse races. That's another story!)

Yes, this really says "Axel Throwing This Way." And underneath the Axel Throwing is the Knife Throwing Competition. And this is the kids section.

I hope you enjoyed our afternoon walk through the Esslinger Weihnachtsmarkt! I saved the best part until last. I was happy to see obvious displays of the "reason for the season." Germans love nativity sets and the whole point of Christmas is very present, at least in the Christmas Markets.

This was on top of one of the stands, as you can see:

The last night of the Esslinger Weihnachtsmarkt is celebrated with the whole community coming out to conduct a walk from the Altstadt downtown, up to the Burg (or fortress). It is a fire-walk, so every carries fire-lit lanterns, and then on the courtyard of the Burg, there is a fire-dance display. We went to it last year and it was incredible.