The Christmas season will soon be upon us, and the opportunity to recreate our family traditions begins again. Sometimes it’s nice to create new traditions, even if they’re centuries old.
My family and I were lucky enough to live in Switzerland for a few years and one of our favorite adopted traditions was attending countless Christmas markets that are traditional in much of Europe, including Germany, Austria, France, and Switzerland. What may seem like simply a shopping opportunity is actually more like a town fair, an opportunity for the community to gather and celebrate the season together. Centuries ago, Christmas markets were a necessity for small, European towns. Now, in the age of mega malls and online shopping the tradition lives on.
The Christmas markets in the US harken back to the markets of Nuremberg, Strasbourg, and Vienna. At Chicago’s Christkindlmarket you’ll find beautiful ornaments from vendors like famed Käthe Wohlfahrt: vendors selling lichthauser, German porcelain lighted houses: and lebkuchenherzen, traditional German gingerbread hearts. Many markets will also highlight handmade items from local Midwestern craftsmen.
Food is an integral part of the experience. Don’t pass up a bratwurst or be adventurous and try the currywurst, a spicy specialty of Berlin. Or try delicious German potatoes. Sugared almonds, Nutella crepes, and chocolate-dipped fruits are traditional sweets and don’t forget the glühwein, a warm mulled wine guaranteed to warm you as you browse.
Attending Chicago’s Christkindlmarket is now an annual event for our family. It reminds us of happy times we spent in Europe and has become one of our most treasured family traditions.
Visit the Chicago Christkindlmarket from November 20th through December 24th, or enjoy any of the traditional markets throughout the region. See the Events Listing in our holiday issue for details. Happy Holidays!
This article appeared in the Holiday 2015 issue of Lakeshore Magazine.
