With the first Advent of Christmas (December 1st), I have been learning about common Christmas traditions in Germany. For example, for Nikolaustag, or Saint Nicholas Day, on December 6th, children in Germany will place their shoes in the foyer the previous night hoping that Saint Nicholas will leave them small gifts. One tradition that I am most excited about is the Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas market). Most cities will have a Christmas market, which will open on the weekend of the first advent of Christmas. To kick off the holiday season, I took a day trip to Nürnberg to visit Christkindlesmarkt, Germany’s largest and most famous Christmas market.
Nürnberg’s famous Christkindlesmarkt attracts over two million visitors every year. Vendors selling Christmas ornaments and decorations, wool scarves, soap, candles, and other handcrafted specialties pack the main square in front of the Frauenkirche and spread throughout the Altstadt (old city). The air smells wonderful with the scent of the famous Nürnberger Rostbratwurst, potato pancakes, hot chocolate, and Glühwein (mulled wine). Lebkuchen, a soft gingerbread cookie with a chocolate or sugar coating, is also a Christmas specialty in Nürnberg. Lebkuchen Schmid is one of the largest and most famous Lebkuchen producers in Germany.
