Christmas Markets

[Phantom of London]

It’s that time of year again, when we put out hat, gloves and Christmas jumpers on and maybe visit a Christmas market for a German sausage or a mulled wine for a bit of seasonal cheer.

Or are they just a plain rip off and a tourist trap, I walked around the one in Leicester Square and noticed the lovely Spanish churros at the not so lovely £10 for a portion, £11 with a dip, I mean, these are just flour, baking powder, water, salt. Last year I think they’re £8. Alternatively you can by a Xmas souvenir that ends up on a bottom of a wardrobe.

[BurlyBeaR]

We have loads of them in Manchester. Clogging up 😉 the squares and piazzas in the city centre. Overpriced tat as usual. Slight difference this year, they’ll be patrolled by armed police. Merry Christmas.

[marob]

Had a wonder around some of the ones in Manchester last year. Don’t know what’s Christmassy about them when vast majority are only selling street food. But it obviously brings the punters in.💷💷💷

A woman I used to work with was once going on about burger vans and like, and she said the thing she always wondered was where do they go to the toilet. And where do they wash their hands. It’s not something I’d ever thought about but now can’t help wondering about that myself.

[Someone in a tree]

The one on the south bank is quite pretty to look at. Doesnt looked hemmed in like some of them. I never buy anything though.

To be honest i dont really buy anything but food, booze, theatre and holidays

[theglenbucklaird]

Went to Stratford upon Avon last year. Advertised as a Victorian market it was very bad, like a cheap market as it did include a sheets, towels, duvets shop and vapes and lighters. Had a very tacky funfair with very loud modern music. It wasn't tip top hip hop by any means.

Unimpressed I was looking at the local press and someone had written in saying a world heritage site and this is what we get for our market at Christmas.

Anyway, trying Bath and Bristol this year

[newda]

Much as I love the atmosphere they create I can't ever bring myself to buy a thimble full of mulled wine for the prices they'll be charging for it.

[bobbybaby]

Birmingham has a great Xmas Market. I tend to go for the atmosphere more than the Xmas shopping. Prices always seem too high for what you get. But it’s full of sparkle and Xmas lights. It’s big too stretching up New Street to Chamberlain Square. 🤩🎄

[matttom0901]

I tend to avoid the markets in London due to crowds. Just too many people.

That said, I decided to fly to Salzburg mid December for a bit of Christmas cheer. I’ve been told that the Christmas market there is incredible.

[anxiousoctopus]

The one in Southampton’s city centre used to be the typical flower-pot-men and funny glass ornament stalls, but it was taken over by a different company a few years back and now it’s almost entirely food stalls and a number of outdoor pub areas for people to get utterly wasted.

The Winchester Christmas market is far better for actual gifts though

[londonmzfitz]

The extremely popular Lincoln Christmas Market was shut down after 2022 as there were so many people it literally came to a standstill.

Memories of me with large heavy suitcase coming back from Heathrow after Christmas in Italy, changing at Green Park and standing at the lift between platforms for almost 10 minutes as a couple with double buggy couldn't move forward with the number of other passengers heading to / from the Winter Wonderland thing. Couldn't move. Madness. Lugged the blooming thing up the stairs when I spotted a gap.

Last year a five year old visiting Belton House (near Grantham) Christmas Event was severely scalded by a passerby spilling boiling hot mulled wine on him - needed skin grafts.

Zagreb, Croatia Christmas Market is stunning - stalls throughout the City, ice skating rink set up in a park that's not just a square rink - you can ice skate literally around the park pathways - I have vid on YouTube of those skating as a band played, while drinking fizz on a platform as a live band played. Great food. Amazing hot chocolate. Beautiful City. Midnight Mass Christmas Eve in the Cathedral was the busiest I've ever seen anywhere (including St Marks in Venice). Cathedral is built of sandstone and part collapsed in the 2020 earthquake and is under renovation. Well worth the £ for a visit!

[showgirl]

After years of visiting Christmas markets, both here & abroad, I've largely given up as all those here which used to be good (especially Bath, which may still be), they all started to look the same, as others have mentioned, ie mostly stalls for hot food, drink & if not, boring old candles, fudge & weird wooden or woollen objects. After a disappointing visit to Canterbury last year (independent shops actually more rewarding & we enjoyed a carol service in the cathedral, so not a total failure) & from what I saw of the Oxford one on a day trip for a matinee, I've reluctantly concluded that the major markets (Birmingham, Manchester, London) are commercial travesties of the original European model; that on the other hand, the newer, smaller town-based ones (Canterbury, Oxford etc) aren't big enough & that the best bet is to find the few genuinely local and short-lived markets or fairs based in rural locations such as country houses or small local centres. So this year I'm trying Redbourn plus maybe one or two at EH/NT properties.

Bath was still great on my last visit some years ago but I've been at least 3 times now, plus a 4th when staying in Bristol for the market there, so I feel I've been there & done that; Winchester was also worthwhile & Southampton coming along, but again, I probably wouldn't return to either since there has to be something else to do as part of the trip. Not yet tried York, but wondering if that would be another let-down.

[jek]

For those in London I'd recommend a trip to Rotherhithe. Both the Scandinavian churches there have Christmas markets. One is Norwegian and the other Finnish. They each have very distinctive buildings. I'm a big fan of the Finnish one which was built in 1958 in a Scandinavian modernist style. Both churches host food stalls (both eat in and eat out) featuring national delicacies. The Finnish one does a roaring trade in reindeer meat and cinnamon buns. There are many confectionary products for sale - the Finnish love of licorice is very evident. The Finnish church also sells merchandise associated with some of their most famous exports - the Moomins, Angry Birds and Tom of Finland. In fact if you time it right there is usually a Moomin wandering around ready for photo opportunities (we have photos of our kids with the Moomin dating back almost two decades). They also have choirs singing Scandinavian and English carols. Two warnings. Firstly, there is often a queue to get in to the churches and also to pay for goods - but church staff tend to go up and down the line giving out sweets so making the wait a bit more bearable. Secondly the exchange rate means that everything is very expensive. Gone are the days when we used to come home laden with Fazer chocolate and Moomin biscuits. But the atmosphere is terrific. Ian visits has all the dates for this year:

www.ianvisits.co.uk/calendar/2024/11/30/finnish-and-norwgian-churchs-christmas-fair-2024-407796

[BurlyBeaR]

The church is promoting Tom of Finland?



(anyone not knowing who ToF is, Google at your own risk!)

My pal was in Helsinki for work the other week and bought me a lovely enamelled Moomin keyring. 

[jek]

BurlyBeaR I always take it as a sign that Finnish churches are more liberal than ours! The church also has a sauna in the basement (clearly an important part of Scandinavian culture and not carrying the reputation they sometimes have over here).

[showgirl]

jek, TY for the reminder about the Scandinavian Christmas markets as I did visit them some years ago (I think via a suggestion in Time Out, in the days when there was still a print version) but had completely forgotten about them. I think I also visited an event at the Swedish church in central London. I don't however recall having to pay in foreign currency.

[jek]

showgirl. Yes there is one at the Swedish Church in Marylebone. I've found that one to have less atmosphere than the Rotherhithe ones. No need for foreign currency but Scandi living costs make a bar of chocolate or a tin of Moomin biscuits much more expensive than any UK equivalent.

[theatremiss]

Nov 12, 2024 17:00:23 GMT Someone in a tree said:

The one on the south bank is quite pretty to look at. Doesnt looked hemmed in like some of them. I never buy anything though.

To be honest i dont really buy anything but food, booze, theatre and holidays

Remove the booze and replace with makeup and I’m totally with you

[Someone in a tree]

Nov 13, 2024 11:10:41 GMT BurlyBeaR said:

The church is promoting Tom of Finland?

A lot of churches will do anything for money, lawyers for a sex scandal dont come keep.

"My temple should be a house of commerce"

[Dawnstar]

Nov 13, 2024 3:53:10 GMT showgirl said:

they all started to look the same

I definitely agree with this. I've been to various Christmas markets both within the UK & on the Continent and after a few I was completely bored by them.

[theglenbucklaird]

Big fan of the market in Milan at the castle

[Deleted]

I find all the UK ones generally sh*t and very commercialised and generic.

The ones in mainland Europe are generally far better. Definitely have a more authentic atmosphere. But even they often have the same stalls repeated.

[maggiem]

I haven't gone to the Manchester markets for a while now. They're mainly a lot of over-priced food, that you can get for half the price in Lidl or Aldi.

[BurlyBeaR]

I went to one in Prague in that square where the clock is many years ago and they had a nativity scene with live animals. A little donkey, a lamb, baby goats etc. it was adorable, apart from the pong.

[anthony40]

Nov 15, 2024 14:33:30 GMT BurlyBeaR said:

I went to one in Prague in that square where the clock is many years ago and they had a nativity scene with live animals. A little donkey, a lamb, baby goats etc. it was adorable, apart from the pong.

Such a sensitive BeaR, Burly!

[londonmzfitz]

Nov 15, 2024 14:33:30 GMT BurlyBeaR said:

I went to one in Prague in that square where the clock is many years ago and they had a nativity scene with live animals. A little donkey, a lamb, baby goats etc. it was adorable, apart from the pong.

Had that at Zagreb, Croatia (mentioned above), each evening around 7pm there was an enactment of the Nativity Scene with Wise Men, Shepherds, various animals.  Big crowd pleaser.