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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Piazza IX Aprile, Taormina, Sicily, Italy
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European fallow deer in England
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A toast to California!
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Bearded reedlings in Flevoland
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The artists come to Venice
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Why, aloe there
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Terraced rice fields, Yuanyang County, China
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World Bicycle Day
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White Desert National Park, Egypt
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Perfect timing
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What kind of bird laid these eggs?
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Paris is photo-ready this week
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National Hummingbird Day
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Celebrating Pi Day
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Land ho in New Zealand 250 years ago
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The beach at Cala Luna, Sardinia, Italy
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Women s suffrage at 100
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Craters of the Moon centennial
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It’s oh so quiet
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Porto Cathedral, Portugal
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Storks ready for takeoff
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Roman theater of Cartagena, Spain
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New Year s Eve
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The scene of a literary crime
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Mapping courage in the Seventh Ward
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Vietnam’s new bridge deserves a big hand
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World Art Day
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Crescent-tail bigeye fish, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
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When in Rome...celebrate Saturnalia
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Castle Stalker, Argyll, Scotland
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