Ring in holiday season at German Christmas markets

Walking through grocery stores, shoppers can tell Christmas is only a few weeks away. The shelves are filled with Christmas cookies, gingerbread and chocolate Santa Clauses.

Christmas markets are soon to start. They consist of little wooden booths and houses decorated with fir tree garlands and lights. Vendors sell traditional Christmas items, including ornaments, candles, angels, Advent wreaths and nutcrackers. Shoppers also find ideas for Christmas gifts such as wooden toys, puppets, handmade pottery, handcrafted leather items, glass products, jewelry and more.

Typical smells shoppers experience when strolling along the booths are the smells of roasted chestnuts, cinnamon waffles, Thueringer bratwurst and “Gluehwein,” which is a typical winter drink. It’s a heated red wine spiced with cloves and cinnamon sticks and helps to warm up.

The first Christmas market in the KMC will be in combination with a gluehwein fest in Olsbruecken starting at 1 p.m. Saturday. A much bigger Christmas market will be the one in Kaiserslautern, set up between Stiftskirche and Schillerplatz.

Lord Mayor Dr. Klaus Weichel will officially open the market at 6 p.m. Monday at the stage on Schillerplatz. It will run through Dec. 23 and then continue as a New Year’s market Dec. 27 to 30.

Each day, the Christmas market will offer activities and entertainment on the stage at Schillerplatz and in the fest area in front of Stiftskirche.

“Visitors will be able to enjoy a diversified and full entertaining program,” said Alexander Hess, chief of the project office for city events. “The musical repertoire will range from Christmas music to inspiring rhythms from around the world. Performers will be Stephan Flesch and Markus Ziegler, Rick Cheyenne, Hubertus von Garnier and Sebastian Niklas.”

Artisans and sculptors will present their creative works in the yard of Stiftskirche, where an open fire will provide a special atmosphere. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, animals from the Kaiserslautern Zoo will create a nativity scene.

“Those looking for Christmas presents will have fun Nov. 27, when stores will offer Sunday shopping from 1 to 6 p.m.,” Hess said.

The Kaiserslautern Christmas market will be open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday; Sundays it will open 1 to 10 p.m.

Christmas markets in smaller towns usually don’t open until the afternoon.

The history of Christmas markets goes back to the 14th century. After farmers had sold their crop, they paid their workers. After attending worship services during Advent, those workers spent their money right away at little markets set up around the church. Most common items offered were sweets and toys. There were also craftsmen selling baskets, pottery, spices, clothes and Christmas tree ornaments.

Christmas markets in the KMC and close vicinity:

• Alsenborn, Nov. 25 to 27
• Alsenz, Dec. 3 and 4
• Bann, Dec. 11 and 12
• Bruchmuehlbach, Dec. 4
• Eisenberg, Nov. 25 to 27
• Erzenhausen, Nov. 27
• Eulenbis, Dec. 11
• Falkenstein Castle (north of Winnweiler), Dec. 10 and 11
• Fockenberg-Limbach, Dec. 3 and 4
• Glan-Muenchweiler, Dec. 3
• Hauptstuhl, Dec. 10
• Heltersberg (Im Lindenpark), Nov. 27
• Hirschhorn, Nov. 27 and Dec. 3
• Hochspeyer, Dec. 3 and 4
• Homburg, Nov. 25 to Dec. 4; and Dec. 7 to 30 (closed Dec. 25 and 26)
• Kaiserslautern, Nov. 21 through Dec. 23; and Dec. 27 to Dec. 30
• Katzweiler, Dec. 3
• Kindsbach, Dec. 3 and 4
• Kirchheimbolanden, Dec. 2 to 4
• Krickenbach, Dec. 3
• Kollweiler, Dec. 10
• Kuebelberg, Dec. 10 and 11
• Kusel, Dec. 9 to 11
• Kusel, Lichtenberg Castle (medieval Christmas market), Nov. 26 and 27
• Landstuhl, Nov. 26 and 27; Dec. 9 to 12
• Linden, Dec. 3
• Mackenbach, Dec. 10
• Mehlingen, Dec. 3 and 4
• Mittelbrunn, Dec. 17
• Neuhemsbach, Schlossberg: Nov. 26 and 27
• Neuleiningen, Nov. 26 and 27; Dec. 3 and 4
• Niederkirchen, Dec. 3
• Obermoschel, Nov. 26 and 27
• Olsbruecken, Nov. 19
• Otterbach, Dec. 4
• Otterberg, Nov. 26, Dec. 3, 10 and 11 (children’s market), and Dec. 17
• Queidersbach, Nov. 25 and 26
• Ramsen, Dec. 3 and 4
• Ramstein-Miesenbach, Dec. 2 to 4
• Rockenhausen, Nov. 25 to 27
• Rodalben, Nov. 26 and 27
• Rodenbach, Nov. 25 and 26
• Schallodenbach, Dec. 4
• Schneckenhausen, Nov. 26 and 27
• Schopp, Nov. 26 and 27
• Schwedelbach, Dec. 3 and 4
• Stelzenberg, Nov. 26
• Steinbach/Glan, Nov. 27
• Sulzbachtal, Dec. 10
• Trippstadt, House of Sustainability, Johanniskreuzer Strasse 1, Romantic Forest Christmas, Dec. 10 and 11
• Waldmohr, Dec. 3 and 4
• Weilerbach, Nov. 26 to Dec. 4
• Winnweiler, Nov. 26 and 27

Other Christmas markets in Germany:

• Ansbach, Nov. 24 to Dec. 24
• Aschaffenburg, Nov. 24 to Dec. 22
• Augsburg, Nov. 21 to Dec. 24
• Baden-Baden, Nov. 21 to Dec. 30
• Bad Bergzabern, Dec. 2 to 4; Dec. 9 to 11
• Bad Duerkheim, Nov. 25 to Dec. 18
• Bad Muenster/Stein-Ebernburg, Nov. 26 and 27; Dec. 4 and 4; Dec. 10 and 11; Dec. 17 and 18
• Bad Kreuznach, Nov. 18 to Dec. 18 (closed Nov. 20)
• Bamberg, Nov. 24 to Dec. 23
• Baumholder, Dec. 2 and 3
• Berlin, Gendarmenmarkt, Nov. 21 to Dec. 31
• Berlin, Gedaechtniskirche, Nov. 23 to Jan. 3
• Bernkastel-Kues/Mosel, Nov. 19 to Dec. 21 (closed Nov. 20)
• Bingen, Dec. 9 to 11
• Bitburg, Nov. 30 to Dec. 11
• Cochem/Mosel, Nov. 18 to Dec. 18 (closed Nov. 20)
• Cochem, Reichsburg Castle, Dec. 10 and 11
• Dahn, Nov. 25 to Dec. 23
• Darmstadt, Nov. 21 to Dec. 23
• Deidesheim/German Wine Street, Nov. 25 to 27; Dec. 2 to 4; Dec. 9 to12, and Dec. 16 to 18
• Dresden, Nov. 24 to Dec. 24
• Frankfurt, Nov. 23 to Dec. 22
• Freiburg, Nov. 21 to Dec. 23
• Freinsheim/German Wine Street, Nov. 25 to 27; Dec. 2 to 4; Dec. 9 to 12; Dec. 16 to 18
• Garmisch, Nov. 26 to Dec. 23
• Gruenstadt, Dec. 2 to 4; Dec. 9 to 11; Dec. 16 to 18
• Hauenstein, Dec. 2 to 4
• Heidelberg, Nov. 21 to Dec. 22
• Idar-Oberstein, Nov. 26 and 27 in Oberstein (Schloss); Dec. 2 to 4 in Idar
• Karlsruhe, Nov. 24 to Dec. 23
• Kirchheimbolanden, Dec. 2 to 4
• Koblenz, Nov. 21 to Dec. 22
• Cologne, near cathedral, Nov. 21 to Dec. 23
• Landau, Nov. 24 to Dec. 18
• Leipzig, Nov. 22 to Dec. 23
• Ludwigshafen, Nov. 18 to Dec. 23 (closed Nov. 20)
• Mainz, Nov. 24 to Dec. 23
• Mannheim, Nov. 23 to Dec. 23
• Michelstadt, Nov. 25 to Dec. 18
• Munich, Nov. 25 to Dec. 24
• Neunkirchen, Nov. 26 and 27
• Neustadt/German Wine Street, Nov. 21 to Dec. 22
• Nuernberg, Nov. 25 to Dec. 24
• Pirmasens, Nov. 25 to Dec. 21
• Potsdam, Nov. 21 to Dec. 28
• Regensburg, Nov. 23 to Dec. 23
• Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Nov. 25 to Dec. 23
• Ruedesheim, Nov. 24 to Dec. 23
• Saarbruecken, Nov. 21 to Dec. 23
• Saarlouis, Nov. 25 to Dec. 23
• Sankt Wendel, medieval Christmas market, Dec. 3 to 11
• Speyer, Nov. 21 to Jan. 8 (closed Dec. 25 and 26)
• St. Martin/German Wine Street, Nov. 26 and 27; Dec. 3 and 4; Dec. 10 and 11
• Stuttgart, Nov. 23 to Dec. 23
• Traben-Trarbach (underground market), Nov. 25 to Jan. 8 (closed Dec. 24, 25 and 31)
• Trier, Nov. 21 to Dec. 22
• Wachenheim, Dec. 3 and 4; Dec. 10 and 11
• Wiesbaden, Nov. 22 to Dec. 23
• Worms, Nov. 21 to Dec. 23
• Wuerzburg, Nov. 25 to Dec. 23
• Zweibruecken, Dec. 2 to 4; Dec. 6; Dec. 9 to 12

Christmas markets in France:

• Colmar, Nov. 25 to Dec. 30
• Metz, Nov. 19 to Dec. 28
• Strasbourg, Nov. 26 to Dec. 31
• Wissembourg, Nov. 26 and 27; Dec. 3 and 4; Dec. 10 and 11; Dec. 17 and 18

Some Christmas markets will be closed Sunday for a religious memorial day, Totensonntag.