I would happily spend every day of December walking around the Christmas market wrapped up in a coat and scarf with a cup of mulled wine. It is one of my favourite things to do to get in the Christmas spirit and of course I’ll insist that we have to go to every single stall no matter how cold we are.
In Manchester the Christmas market is huge and it’s always filled with people no matter what time of day it is. I love smell of the food that’s cooking, looking at all the Christmas lights and seeing all the handmade gifts.
This got me thinking, where did the tradition of Christmas markets come from?
In the late 13th century in Vienna, they had markets during December for people to buy things throughout the winter months. People started to sell toys and roasted chestnuts which could be given as gifts. The earliest markets for Christmas originated in Germany during the medieval times where people also sold handmade gifts and food. In the post-war era, Christmas markets in Germany continued to become larger due to the rise of consumerism.
This hasn’t stopped with the rest of the world creating their own markets that get bigger every year. Manchester Christmas market now around 180 stalls! (I guess I’ll be walking for a while!)
What so great about Christmas Markets?
Asides from the obvious, the markets contribute significantly to the economy and tourism. As of 2017 the total spending came to around £500 million! The rising numbers of visitors from other towns leads to the increasing of buying from local businesses helping the local economy. In addition to this, Christmas markets bring temporary employment to the many people involved in them. Overall, they provide much more than just Christmas spirit.
What are Christmas Markets like around the world?
Some of the biggest Christmas markets in Europe are Vienna’s Christkindlmarkt and many of the markets in Germany. The brightest Christmas market is Singapore’s Christmas Wonderland which is expecting around 3 million visitors this year to see its kinetic light display, carnival games and performances. Here in the UK, we have Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park which this year will feature rides, street food stalls and even an Ice Kingdom with ice sculptures.
Christmas markets have evolved from small stalls to huge events, and I think, given how much we love them, they will only get bigger and more exciting. So, I already can’t wait for next year!
For more information here are the articles I used to help me write this post-
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