Christmas in Alsace

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In France, during the Christmas season, there is a place that becomes a magical land, a land of fairytales and gaily decorated towns and villages. A land that celebrates the season with traditions that goes back hundreds of years. And a land that brings together the best of two cultures in celebration of the holiday season. This land is Alsace and it’s capitol Strasbourg. At Christmastime, the region of France that borders on Germany becomes a gigantic land of legends, myths and centuries old traditions. Along the snow-draped Vosage Mountains, from Mulhouse to Strasbourg, is a succession of gaily-decorated villages where numerous wood-framed houses and shop windows are adorned with countless sparking lights. There are dazzling city squares, where holiday markets abound, playing host to eager holiday shoppers. And everywhere the sacred music of Christmas carols fills the air. At night in particular, there is a special glow, when everything is illuminated with holiday lights During the Advent, the four-week period preceding Christmas, age-old Alsatian traditions come to life across the region. Part of the tradition is the Christmas markets, which are a show unto themselves. Nearly every town has one but the oldest is located in Strasbourg, the capitol of Alsace. The Christkindelsmärik is a combination of German and French tradition. Set up in two squared in the city center – Place Broglie and Place de la Cathédrale – the markets date back to 1570, and are filled with the scents and sounds of Christmas. Place Broglie becomes a giant Christmas tree lot, one of the largest in the country. The Cathedral Market must be experienced to be appreciated. You’ll find: gingerbread, bredele biscuits, honey and melted spun sugar, glazed apples, mulled wine (with the tantalizing aromas of cinnamon, orange and spices), Alsatian wine, schnapps, Christmas beer, roasted goose and foie gras-fill the air and awaken the senses, adding to the warmth of the market atmosphere. Friendly regional craftsmen display their handmade wares: Advent crowns and calendars, painted glass balls, candles, Christmas tree decorations, music boxes, fabrics, tablecloths, ribbons, glassware, tableware, paintings, brightly colored wooden toys, nativity scenes and other holiday figures. Voices, bells, music and children’s laughter complement the vibrant images. Chestnuts roast over open fires. Just a few blocks down from place de la Cathédrale is Place Kléber and the site of the great Vosage Christmas tree, some 30 meters high—adorned with different decorations and lights every year. The cutting and decorating of one’s own Christmas tree is a tradition that originated in Strasbourg and dates back to the 1600s. Unique pageantry is as much a part of the Alsatian Christmas as the lights, market and trees. The region does have is unique characters such as Christkindel (or Christ Child) who brings Christmas presents in the form a young girl dressed in white with a veil covering her hair; she wears a fir crown with four candles and holds a scepter topped with a star. Fairy-like, she represents light and rewards good children with unique Christmas characters. Accompanying Christkindel is the horrible Hans Trapp, or Rüpelz, a coarse, hairy person with chains who strikes terror in the hearts of children. He puts naughty children in a big sack and carries them away deep into the forest, never to be seen again. Peckersel, a donkey, sometimes joins them, carrying on his back baskets with the sweets Christkindel gives to tots. And then there is the loveable old gent, Saint Nicolas, with his long white beard, red bishop’s coat, miter and crook, who is also on hand (he comes at night on December 6, when children leave their shoes out for treats), as are the Three Wise Men. Look for all of them at processions, markets and in plays. Most of all, it is not to late to join one of the most unique and colorful event that takes place throughout the region during holiday season. Termed The Seven Lands of Christmas, seven regions or “lands” throughout the area host theme celebrations. Special events include Christmas markets, concerts, traditional foods, processions, wine tasting, Christmas tree decorating and lighting, story telling, live nativity scenes, guided tours, puppet shows, cake making contests, a giant illuminated nativity scene, numerous children’s events and a myriad of other festivities. Should you decide to spend Christmas in Alsace you are advised to take along warm clothing, walking shoes, a hearty appetite, your best singing voice, your sense of adventure and above all, your childhood ego. No where will they be in demand than in the magical land where your entire being will join in celebration of the season. Copyright © Paris New Media, LLC
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