With its fairy-tale-like setting, decorations, music, food, hot wine and the sounds of chatter, the German tradition of the Christmas market has been around for centuries.
Approximately 2,500-3,000 Christmas markets, referred to as Weihnachtsmarkt in German, are organized every year in Germany. Depending on the region and the city, they tend to start approximately in the first week of December and continue almost until the end of first week of January.
Speyer, an ancient city located in the Rhineland-Palatinate state, has more than 50,000 inhabitants today and is home to one of the largest and longest-running Christmas markets in the region. What makes Speyer’s market special in the region is that it offers diverse activities, such as a roller-skating rink, theatre performances, live music, and a craft market where artisans can present their products.
The history of Christmas markets is believed to date back to the 15th century in Germany. For example, in Dresden, which is a city that is located in the very east of the country, the Christmas market was opened for the first time on 24th December, 1434 while in Nuremberg it is believed to have been opened in 1628. In the course of time, the popularity of these markets grew as in 1650 there were around 50 stands in the markets of Berlin while in 1840 this number increased to 600.
Christmas markets are often thought to be a place for people to come together and socialize, but not only that. It is also an opportunity for many local merchants to gain profit and revitalize the economy.
According to the article published by Federal Association of German Showmen and Market Traders e.V. about the Christmas markets as an economic factor, almost every person who visits the Christmas market shops at the Christmas market on an average spending of €31.14 during their visit. Most of them spend money on eating and drinking where the second most bought items are the Christmas gifts. Considering that the number of visitors of Christmas markets can go up to 5 million in just a single city as took place in Cologne in 2019, this would mean millions of euros earned by local merchants.
The researcher Murray Parker and the associate professor Dirk HR Spennemann of the Charles Sturt University claim that Weihnachtsmarkt are “experiential dimension” settings that allow you to experience the senses of vision as well as olfaction, and auditory since they are ornamented with lights, immersed with music in the background and surrounded by the smell of barbecued sausage.
This year, as in previous years, Christmas Market in the historic city of Speyer continues to attract locals and tourists alike, and is home to those who wish to gather with friends and family and experience a true Christmas celebration – visually, audiovisually and olfactorily.
