Description

Learn about the Christmas Markets of Germany in this traveling video by Seasoned Traveler. In these markets, you can taste the Christmas spirit in the form of a variety of cakes, sweets, and Germany's famous sausages.

Transcript

Crowd: [Foreign Language] George: Which means welcome to Vienna. Hi there, I’m George Bauer, this city is positively brimming with Christmas spirit. In fact there are several holiday markets in Austria’s capital. This week, we’re going to get into the spirit. We’ll travel to some of the biggest and the best Christmas markets across Europe and visit some smaller ones as well. Come on along. They date back nearly 500 years. In Germany, Nuremburg’s market is considered the oldest starting in 1545. Now, other towns claim to be older. It doesn’t matter. You’ll love them all. Each year in late November at the start of advent, the markets set up shop and most run until Christmas Eve. Called kriskindelmart in German, they’ve become a convergence of commerce and community. Some old fashioned gifts and bringing people together for shopping and savoring, sausages, cakes, lebcuken and much more. Along with the lebcuken which is the spiced cake, one of the nicest things about Christmas markets comes in this little red cup. It’s called Glühwein, it’s a hot spiced red wine and it takes the chill out of a cold December night. Christmas stollen are everywhere. Fruit bread and cookies are common and people eat all kinds of sausages. Some markets like the one in Nuremburg are magnets for locals and tourists alike. So there’s one thing you have to know about Christmas markets. They can get pretty crowded especially on weekends. Can you find me? Other markets are smaller, more intimate, more similar to the markets of the 16th century. In this season of lights, Christmas markets truly shine every night. But day and night, there’s the sound of holiday music. The legends of Christmas and the markets go back to ancient times. The tree is the centerpiece of Christmas. Evergreens were a symbol of rebirth in ancient times. In the 7th century, monks in England used fir trees to represent the holy trinity, by the 12th century, Europeans hung trees upside down from ceilings at Christmas time. The first decorated tree was in Latvia, the year was 1510. Songs about the Christmas tree date back to the late 1500s. In Germany, there were elaborate celebrations and the Christmas markets. By the 1600s, many German towns were celebrating Christmas with elaborate trees. The market sprang up so people could buy gifts, food and practical items for the holiday, 200 years later, Christmas trees became fashionable in Britain. Queen Victoria and prince Albert were shown with their children near a Christmas tree in 1846 and in the United States, the White House set the standard. The nation’s 14th president, Franklin Pearce, had a Christmas tree during his tenure in the executive mansion from 1853 to 1857. Vienna may be the king of the market towns. Vienna has 23 neighborhoods and each one has at least one Christmas market. The oldest one dates from 1772. There are more than three dozen Christmas markets. The Viennese not only love their coffee. They love their Christmas markets as well. Locals can visit a different one each day of advent. Not far away, Spittleburg is in a quaint historical quarter of the capital. It sells traditional and original handicrafts as well as food and drink. It’s tucked away down cobblestoned alleyways with little niches and neighborhood courtyards. Some call it one of Vienna’s more authentic Christmas markets. But there are several others. Visit them all and you judge which ones are best. On a grander scale, Schloss Schoenbrunn, the Schoenbrunn Palace. Former summer home of Austrian emperors and a legacy of opulence from the revered Hapsburg Dynasty. The baroque building is situated among lush gardesn in the summer and market stalls during the holidays. Schoenbrunn has 1441 rooms, 45 of which are open to the public. Nearly 7 million people pass through the palace and its grounds every year. Many of them coming to this month long Christmas market of food and fun. Vienna’s main market is a sea of color and lights from the entranceway to city hall. The trees are ablaze, look around, you’ll see a hearts tree, a gummibears tree, a lantern tree, a candy tree, and many more. And don’t miss the post office in the clouds where Christmas market stamps are issued each week and where children can send letters to St. Nicholas. Female: [foreign language]