Oh little town of Bethlehem, PA…Ihr Christkindlmarkt ist sehr schön.

In Germany, Christmas Markets (Weihnachtsmärkten / “Christkindlmarkt”) have been a popular tradition since the mid 1500s.  Each town had a unique market where villagers would buy and sell homemade Christmas ornaments, decorations, and gifts.  Local tradesmen sold their handmade crafts including carved cuckoo clocks, glass ornaments, nutcrackers, and wooden smokers and figurines.   The tradition is still very much alive today throughout Germany, but also in the States as German immigrants continue the custom.

Bethlehem, PA has one of the largest “authentic German” Christmast markets, and I recently took some time to enjoy it.  The market is held in 2 large tents, complete with handmade crafts, the Käthe Wohlfahrt store (where you can buy everything from a nutcracker to a beer stein  for that special someone…), a large Tannenbaum (Christmas tree), ice carving, and some tasty ethnic food – I had a cherry strudel.  Admission is somewhat pricey at $7 just to get in, but it definitely is worth it if you are seeking some unique gifts.

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