Weihnachtsmarkt

Christmastime in Germany is really cool. Besides the weather being practically 0 grad Celsius all the time, virtually every German town or city has a Weihnachtsmarkt, which.

Some Weihnachtsmarkts are so huge you can practically lose yourself. Others are small and cosy, and some are so completely threadbare you wonder why people put them up in the first place.

There are a couple of things you can usually find without fail in a German Weihnachtsmarkt. One is Glühwein, which is hot wine with Christmas spices in it. Normally if you buy a Glühwein (or cocoa or something else) you get a mug which you can keep as a keepsake or give back for some money in return. The other is Bratwurst, which is present at virtually every German city gathering.

However, at most Weihnachtsmarkts are also stands selling candles, toys, musical instruments, candy, chocolate, wooden signs, and a whole variety of goods. The Weihnachtsmarkt in Essen even had a ferris wheel!

The huge fests gather a lot of street performers, too. On one street in Essen alone there were three groups of "Native Americans" alone, all trying to get you to buy the same CD.

I went to markets in Wesel (about 10 times, at least), Rees (one of those threadbare ones), in Münster with AFS, in Essen with friends from school and again with Jutta and Stefan, was sort of in Bocholt (after the market had closed for the night, though), and a couple of others.
One building in Bocholt was made into a giant advents calendar.

Sarah (US), Barbara, Analena, and Sarah in Essen

Essen with lots of lights.

Anyone who had Cadilli for Euro has to know the picture on the bottom left. In Essen, they had Italy for a guest land and they made a bunch of pictures with Christmas lights (e.g., the Birth of Venus and the Colloseum).
Natasha (Rus), Timon (Ger), Sarah (US), and yours truly in Münster