THE VANCOUVER CHRISTMAS MARKET!

   Located in downtown Vancouver on the Plaza at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre (on Georgia, between Cambie and Hamilton), the Vancouver Christmas Market will be returning from 24 November to 24 December 2011 and will be open daily from 11 am to 9 pm.  Named as one of the 10 most Spectacular Holiday Markets Around the World, the Vancouver Christmas Market is a new, can't miss Vancouver Christmas event!
It is so much more than just a craft fair. An authentic German Christmas Market creates the perfect atmosphere for purchasing Christmas related merchandise and food. It also serves as an ideal setting for multiple cultural activities and events. The romantic setting of the Christmas Market with its customary rows of little wooden huts that are decorated in pine branches, strung with little white lights showing off the merchandise, will develop into the focal point of the holiday season in the city.

   During the pre-Christmas season the market is the perfect destination for combining a family outing with some Christmas shopping. A special children’s area known as the Kids Market will give youngsters the chance to make their own Christmas gifts. Business people will find a fun meeting place for a quick bite during lunch time or a drink after work. Companies will host their Christmas parties there. With a wide variety of entertainment offered, it also becomes a place for young people to enjoy and mingle before a night on the town. School groups of all ages, social clubs and senior organizations will incorporate a visit in their holiday activities.

   The centre piece of the Christmas Market will be a festively decorated stage which creates a unique Christmas atmosphere when surrounded by more than 45 traditional wooden booths and rows of Christmas trees with thousands of fairy lights.
   There will be a mix of food and merchandise booths including some specialties such as German Bratwurst, suckling pig and Swiss Raclette, traditional Christmas cookies, Lebkuchen, roasted chestnuts, baked apples and spiced Christmas Cake (Stollen). Beverages will include the famous German Christmas Drink (Feuerzangenbowle) and authentic hot spiced red wine (Gluehwein) and a selection of German beers (Weissbier).
The merchandise will include authentic wood carvings and wooden toys, knitted clothes and scarves, Christmas pyramids and tree balls, tin toys, stain glass, nutcrackers in various sizes as well as advent wreaths. You can find unique gifts such as glass jewelry, Polish pottery, organic baby clothes or German beer steins.

   During the daytime and evening hours Vancouver Christmas Market will offer a kaleidoscope of performances, including traditional European choirs and dance performances, world class string ensembles, worldly gospel choirs and festive carol singers. The Pavilion Stage will also host daily feature kid’s activities and a variety of school choirs and bands will show off their talent during their performances on stage.
Vancouver is a cosmopolitan city with a rich history of hosting world-class events. The Vancouver Christmas Market will change the way Vancouverites celebrate the Christmas season.
   Colourful décor. Authentic gifts. Family entertainment. Tasty authentic food. The aroma of mulled wine. A truly enchanting atmosphere.

German Christmas Markets … a 700 year tradition

   German Christmas markets are a centuries old tradition in Germany. The markets light up communities with gaiety, fun, laughter, companionship, good food and drink during the advent season.
   Charming Christmas markets are a good antidote to holiday commercialism. Instead of mass-produced gifts, the markets feature unique, hand-crafted items, purchased from vendors who have often crafted the items themselves.
   During the Christmas season, there are Christkindlmarkts throughout Germany. Each Christkindlmarkt has its own special charm, unique to the community and region. Visit a German Christmas Market to experience the sights, smells and sounds of an Old World Christmas.

History of German Christkindlmarkt

   Christmas markets have been a German tradition for 700 years. Seasonal markets were held in Germany year around. Christmas markets were an especially joyous, anticipated event, as they brought light and laughter to a cold, dark season.
   Each town had a unique market. Local tradesmen sold their wares at the market, which gave each market an individual flavor. Food and beverages served were produced in the region, so each town's offerings were a little different. Tradesmen lined the streets with handmade wares, displaying distinctive regional characteristics.
   Christmas markets, known as Christkindlmarkts, were a festive meeting place for people. Villagers bought and sold homemade Christmas ornaments, decorations, and gifts. Traditional German handicrafts at the markets included hand carved nutcrackers, wooden smokers, wooden figures, cuckoo clocks, straw ornaments and blown glass ornaments.

Martin Luther's Role in Christmas Customs

   Religious reformer Martin Luther played a major role in our current Christmas customs. Luther instituted new Christmas gift giving traditions. Before Luther, the exchange of Christmas presents took place on the Saint Days of St.. Nicholas (December 6) or St. Martin (November 11). The tradition of giving gifts to children on Christmas became a boon to the Markets.
   Martin Luther suggested that children receive presents from "The Christ Child", Christkindl. German Christmas Markets are called Christkindlmarkt.
   The Christkindl delivers presents to children on Christmas. Christkindl is a romantic, fairy like being, dressed in white and gold, with golden hair topped by a golden crown. Christkindl is the German equivalent of Santa Claus.

Christmas Markets Across Germany are Unique Celebrations

   Towns, cities and villages across Germany celebrate unique Christkindlmarkts. The markets in Munich, Berlin, Rothenburg, Nuremberg, Frankfurt, Baden Baden and every other town serve different foods and sell different handcrafted wares that are specialties of the region. Larger cities, such as Munich, have more than one market.
   Christmas markets are a delightful way to begin holiday festivities. The crisp, cold air fills with the fragrance of sizzling sausages, sweet pastries, spices and hot spiced gluhwein. Booths sell sweet treats, such as chocolates, cakes, pastries, cookies and candies. Music of Christmas fills the air, in preparation for Christmas.
   Christmas markets are preparation for the Holy Christmas day. The days following Christmas are a time for family gatherings and holiday meals.
   Today's markets are much the same as they have been for hundreds of years. The crowds at the German Christmas markets today are likely much bigger than they were hundreds of years ago, but the markets are still a warm, friendly gathering place and a festive part of the Christmas holidays
   The Christmas Market concept has now spread throughout Europe and to North America. Christkindlmarket Chicago started in 1995 and now attracts over a million people each year. The Vancouver Christmas Market will feature the best attributes of Germany’s top Christmas Markets, will attract hundreds of thousands of people this year, and will become an annual tradition for the city of Vancouver.