The streets of this market square are all decked out in a tradition born nearly 700 years ago. Weihnachtsmarkte or Christkindlmarkte (Christmas markets, if you prefer less of a mouthful), take place around the world, but they originated in Germany as a celebratory way to observe Advent, the Christian season leading up to Christmas Eve. These markets are generally open-air affairs where everything is decorated, including the trees (called Tannenbaums in German if they"re firs). People shop from local artisans who sell their handmade wares in small wooden chalets. Then it"s off to eat traditional foods—roasted almonds, pastries, and biscuits—and sip on warm mulled wine.
It’s Weihnachtsmarkt time!
Today in History
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Summer solstice
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Forward-thinking women of history
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Swimming into the season
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Indigenous Peoples Day
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Nature Photography Day
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Mada’in Saleh archeological site in Saudi Arabia
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Dragon dance performed in Chenzhou, Hunan Province, China
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American Eagle Day
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World Bamboo Day
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Bringing together history and technology
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Tokyo welcomes a futuristic new art museum
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The last thing seen by Wile E. Coyote
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Southern right whale
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Big Bend National Park turns 78
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Celebrating Mexico in a Cultural Capital
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Twosday
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St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland
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Penguin Awareness Day
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The village of Castelluccio above the Piano Grande, Umbria, Italy
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It s National Camera Day. Get the picture?
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Sea Slug Day
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Smoking nights in Austria
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Autumn comes to the Porcupines
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Who s hiding in the kelp?
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North Sea at sunset, Norddorf, Germany
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Belize Barrier Reef
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Beware the Ides of March
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Southern lights for Antarctica Day
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Ingenuity in action on the Santa Monica Pier
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Navajo Bridge in Marble Canyon