Sunday Snapshots: A Christmas Market
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Being an expat during the holidays is not an easy thing. While you miss your family, friends and some comforts from your homeland year round, the holidays can make you miss it that much more. Even so we always try to make the most of this special time of the year.
One way has been by incorporating new holiday traditions. Those new traditions of course have been influenced greatly depending on the country we happened to be living in during the season. Each country has brought new and exciting traditions to try.
Today I want to share with you our Christmas market tradition. Every Christmas that we’ve lived in Europe we have visited a Christmas market on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. I think it is safe to say that every European city hosts a Christmas market during the holiday season.
If you have the pleasure to visit Prague during the winter you’ll truly feel like you are inside of a snow globe. Particularly after a fresh dusting of snow. The experience is intensified if you are here during the Christmas holiday. As you step into the Old Town Square you’ll feel as though you’ve stepped back in time .
Every year around the country and in the city of Prague multiple Christmas markets are held in many of the city squares. In the open center of the square small stalls are set up. These stalls sell everything from food to last minute gifts. (These images are all from previous Christmas markets held in Prague’s Old Town Square.)
As you make your way around the market don’t forget to look up.
There are plenty of stall selling a variety of local favorites.
No Christmas market is complete without a tall, bright Christmas tree.
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire then stored in those containers to keep warm. Fresh roasted chestnuts are one of my favorite things about Christmas.
Crisp thin waffles anyone?
A souvenir glass Christmas ornament is a must.
Gingerbread galore and plenty of sweets for those who don’t like gingerbread.
Some specialties from Nuremberg.
One last view of the ancient square illuminated by the Christmas lights.
What is your favorite Christmas tradition? Due share in the comments.
Happy Holidays everyone!!!
PS
Make sure you check out Roots,Wings, and Other Things ongoing series about expats and their holiday traditions.
**Don’t forget to signup for December’s YBR. December YBR Signup, Special Year-End Edition**
What lovely pictures… you’re right.. it is like in a snow globe. Although the pictures are of the present day, they give off a feeling of a quaint old fashioned time. We are a young family creating our new traditions. We decorate for Christmas as soon as Thanksgiving is over…usually that Saturday. Then Christmas Eve I make a nice dinner for our family and we put cookies and milk out for Santa. The kids are forced to bed while I do a marathon of wrapping gifts. I’m up by 5am and guarding the tree because my son is up by 6am and I don’t want to miss him coming down the stairs to see the pile of presents Santa has left. Then I make cinnamon rolls (from a tube) and we get ready to go to my mother’s house for a big Christmas lunch and more fun.
Here’s wishing you a very Merry Christmas full of love, happiness and good food. :)
Hi Ramona, Oh I just love your tradition. I can imagine how magical the expression is on your children’s faces :) Thanks for sharing.
Thank you and I wish you the same. Big hugs Ramona!
My husband and I don’t have children, and I’m hoping to one day make visiting European Christmas markets a tradition for the two of us!
That sounds like a great plan Elizabeth. You’ll truly enjoy it :) Happy Holidays!
This looks amazing . Just love the Christmas Spirit and as always you captured it.. Buon Natale and many blessings coming your way this year!
Thank you Claudia! Buon Natale to you as well. Best wishes and many blessings to you and all of your loved ones :)
My husband recently got back from Germany and enjoyed the markets there. Looks like a fun time!
Thanks Alyssa!
Beautiful photos full of happiness!!!! Merry Christmas sweetie!!
Thanks and you too!
I would love to spend a Christmas in a foreign country. We have done this a few times and while I LOVE it, I can tell my husband is a bit homesick. I think there is no better way to truly enjoy a country than to be there at their celebration time. Thank you for the photo tour!
Yes you really get a feel for the nation when visiting during a public holiday. Happy Holidays!
Lovely photograph as always! I love munching on roasted chestnuts.
Thanks and me too :)!
Oh by the way, I will sign up soon for the end of the year YBR.
Great, will look for you!
Just lovely, thanks for sharing your photos;-) All my best wishes to you for a wonderful holiday season!
Thanks Patty! Happy holidays and best wishes for the coming year :)
This is so beautiful and old fashioned, something I would enjoy. We don’t have anything like that here, and no snow, sniff, sniff. Well if I drive 4 hours I can be in the snow, but nothing like the marketplace you have. I’ve finally finished my baking and now I’m ready to soak up all the Christmas atmosphere. I’ll get the ybr to you, can’t even remember if I blogged this month, it’s been that kind of month. Merry Christmas if I don’t get another chance, sending some love your way.
-Gina-
Yay you made it out of the kitchen alive!!! :) It really is beautiful here during this time of year, somehow snow and cold just fits it perfectly. Too bad you don’t get snow. We haven’t had any yet and I’m getting anxious:) Feliz navidad, Merry Christmas, and my very best wishes for a great 2012. Big hugs :)!!
I wish we had a Christmas market here in Oergon :) This looks like so much fun! I would totally go for those thin waffles :) One of my Christmas traditions is going to church Christmas Eve, and then just staying up until 5 or 6am with my family and friends just hanging out. Some years we’ll go caroling. It’s a lot of fun!
Hi Amalia, That is too bad. But it really sounds like you’ve got some great Christmas traditions :) Happy Holidays!
I was in Prague a few years ago during Easter. They had a huge market then too. I cannot only imagine the pretty Christmas things. Great photos!
Hi Emily, Yes that is right there are also Easter markets around the city. I prefer the Christmas one because of the snow :) Thanks!
Oh, this makes me miss the German Christmas markets. I absolutely LOVED going to them when I lived there. The smell of the chestnuts and the Gluhwein and the cookies…
Janet you mention everything I love about them :) Happy Holidays!
These are really beautiful pictures of Prague. These photos probably show off the city in its best times of the year. There is such a warm and festive feeling about these pictures – even though people are all covered up in their thick fluffly jackets! Great job with the photos!
Thank you Sharon. Truth be told my hubby and I also feel that winter time or the holiday season is when Prague is at its most magical. Somehow it just fits perfectly. Happy Holidays!
What a beautiful way to spend Christmas Eve or day…gorgeous city! And I would really love to watch them roast the chestnuts, we are so boring here :( But I am hoping to get some photos of the Harbor with the Christmas lit boats…love to watch them :)
Hope you are having a great weekend…hugs
Thanks Alisha :) I would love to see your photos of the lit boats, sounds so pretty.
Nancy, thanks for the virtual Christmas market – I feel very festive now, particularly after the chestnuts roasting on an open fire – well roasting anyway. My christmas tradition? Christmas can’t happen til I’ve wrapped my hands around a hot port.
Thank you Hester. A hot port sounds just perfect :) Happy holidays!
OOOOHH so pretty, thanks for sharing :) Merry Christmas!
Thank you and Happy holidays to you !
Pure Christmas magic! I feel like I just took a vacation to Prague. It’s definitely now on my holiday wish list for an upcoming year. Looks like a wonderful way to spend the holidays.
Thank you Christy. I hope you get to spend one here. Happy holidays!
What an amazing trip to the market! I love it! The only time I’ve ever had fresh roasted chestnuts was in Rome at Christmas time…what a treat!
Thank you Ann! Chestnuts in Rome sounds amazing. Happy Holidays :)
Great photos, I really miss the Christmas Markets from Germany, especially the Gluhwein ;)
Thank you Rhonda! Yes a Gluhwein is a must for the Christmas markets :)
Beautiful pots, thanks for sharing:)
Thanks!
oh my… I am getting nostalgic…. I miss christmas markets, they r just awesome. love to linger and look at all those pretty things in the stalls. Special christmas cakes and cookies amd spiced wine and the caramelised apples,… ahh *dream*
Happy holidays Nancy! =)
Hi Helene, Yes I also love all those things about the Christmas markets. Happy Holidays to you as well :)!
Christmas is Central Europe really has a special feeling to it, doesn’t it? Not sure if you know, but I lived in Vienna for two years back in the middle ’90s. Christmas was my favorite time of year over there.
Hin Frank, I didn’t know that. Yes it really is a great time to be here :)
I just spent 3 days on the Nuernberg Christmas market :) I miss these markets so much over in the U.S.! I’ll be posting pictures, soon, too. :)
Prague is such a gorgeous city, it seems perfect for a Christmas market!
Hi Kiri, Glad you got to home home and see the markets. Can’t wait to see your photos.