The aroma of hot mulled gluehwein wine mingling with the scent of
bratwurst, roasted almonds and gingerbread: these are among the
signature attractions of Germany's outdoor Christmas markets.
People huddle together amid the wooden huts of the outdoor Christmas markets under festive lights, a scene replicated around the nation from the smallest villages to the largest cities during the time of Advent.
The tradition of street markets in the month before Christmas dates to the 15th century in central Europe.
Today, the first markets open at the end of October, selling food, drinks, seasonal crafts and other goods. Some offer Ferris Wheels and other fairground rides for the children.
For many of the adults, the hot gluehwein — sometimes fortified with a shot of brandy or rum — is a popular brace against the winter cold and the frenzy of the holiday season. Regional specialties like hot apple wine in western state of Hesse or stollen, a sweet bread with dried fruit and sugar coating, from the eastern state of Saxony, give most of the markets an individual flair.
German Christmas markets are also increasingly important to local economies, drawing people from around the world.
A 2013 study by a business association that specializes in Christmas markets and public festivals suggested that revenue from the larger markets in Germany alone exceeds a billion euros (US$1.1 billion) per year. Some 85 million people visited Christmas markets that year, a 70 percent increase since 2000.
(AP)
In this Dec. 8, 2016 photo people enjoy Gluehwein (mulled wine) at a christmas market in the center of Muenster, Germany.
In this Dec. 8, 2016 file photo Christmas stars for sale are illuminated
at a vendor's stall on the christmas market at the Charlottenburg
Palace in Berlin, Germany.
In this Nov. 28, 2016 file photo taken with a long time exposure people
walk along the Christmas Fair in front of the Mariendom (Cathedral of
Mary) and St. Severi's Church in Erfurt, central Germany.
In this Nov. 28, 2016 file photo people walk in front of a stand
decorated with Christmas stars during the Christmas Fair in Erfurt,
central Germany.
In this Nov. 30, 2016 photo a women walks in front of a Christmas star is mirrored in a puddle, in central Berlin.
In this Nov. 28, 2016 file photo a girl rides a horse on a merry-go-round on the Christmas market in Frankfurt, Germany.
In this Dec. 1, 2016 photo young people stand in front of a fountain
that is decorated with Christmas lights in downtown Frankfurt, Germany.
In this Dec. 8, 2016 file photo Christmas decoration on sale at the
Christmas market near the 'Marienplatz' square in Munich, Germany.
In this Dec. 8, 2016 photo people walk over the Christmas market in the center of Muenster, Germany.
In this Dec. 8, 2016 photo Christmas stars are sold at a traditional Christmas market in the center of Muenster, Germany.
In this Dec. 7, 2016 file photo stars illuminate the top of tents of the
Christmas market at the Gendarmen Markt square in Berlin.
In this Dec. 8, 2016 file photo visitors walk in front of the
illuminated Christmas tree near the Christmas market at the Potsdamer
Platz square in Berlin, Germany.
