Travel
13 Holiday Markets You’ve Never Heard Of – But Should Experience
Slide Nr 1Vienna, Munich, Strasbourg, Prague… Yes, the iconic winter markets of Europe are a sight to behold, but if you’ve experienced all the greatest hits by now (or if you don’t see yourself catching a flight any time soon), perhaps it’s time to look further afield. Overflowing with authentic handmade products and local gourmet delights, not to mention oodles of holiday cheer, these enchanting festive markets around the world can get even the biggest Grinch into the seasonal spirit.
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13 Holiday Markets You’ve Never Heard Of – But Should Experience.
Slide Nr 2Sapporo, Japan – Great beer, world-class skiing, and a cosy Christmas market… wait, are we in Germany or Japan? Sapporo, the capital of the Japanese island of Hokkaido, leans into its rather Teutonic attractions with a Munich Christmas Market to rival those of its namesake. Springing up in Odori Park each year, the market invites visitors to discover quaint stalls bursting with opportunities to shop and dine (mulled wine, sausages and German pretzels, anyone?), as well as festive outdoor concerts. However, you may need to wait to experience the magic: if the English translations of the event’s Facebook page are any indication, the market seems to be taking place entirely online in 2021.
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13 Holiday Markets You’ve Never Heard Of – But Should Experience.
Slide Nr 3Singapore – Swap your hat and gloves for shorts and flip-flops, it’s Christmas in the tropics! What it lacks in wintry weather, the land of eternal summer more than makes up for by putting on a proper show of festive cheer for the holiday season. Singapore’s annual Christmas Wonderland takes over Gardens by the Bay, illuminating the already captivating atmosphere with an array of special activities. Play carnival games, have your photo taken with Santa, browse gifts at the Mistletoe Alley Market, and take a ride on the Venetian double-story carousel. Whatever you do, don’t miss the electrifying Garden Rhapsody light and sound show, a perennial highlight of the event. [Photo: Choo Yut Shing/Flickr]
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13 Holiday Markets You’ve Never Heard Of – But Should Experience.
Slide Nr 5Oaxaca, Mexico – Though not a Christmas market per se, this unusual radish festival is as full of holiday merriment as it is of, well, radishes – but these veggies are not for eating. Oaxaca’s Noche de Rabanos traces its roots back more than a century when local farmers, hoping to attract church-goers to the market after Christmas Mass, would sculpt intricate figures from radishes and put them on display. The gimmick worked, and since 1897 the tradition has been officially observed on 23 December, evolving into a full-on event complete with a large cash prize for the best carved radish. Get there early; long lines form to see the incredible vegetable sculptures, and queuing times can be as long as four or five hours. But with music, festive illuminations and carts selling local culinary treats, like buñuelo pastries and cheesy, spiced cups of corn called esquite, you won’t even notice the wait. [Photo: AlejandroLinaresGarcia/Wikimedia Commons]
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13 Holiday Markets You’ve Never Heard Of – But Should Experience.
Slide Nr 6Luxembourg City, Luxembourg – Don’t let its diminutive size fool you: Luxembourg’s charming capital city throws an annual Winterlights festival boasting not one, not two, but four Christmas markets, in addition to a large outdoor skating rink with accompanying gourmet food village. Take your pick between the Lëtzebuerger Chrëschtmaart offering gifts, gastronomic delights and a Tree Light Show; the Wantermaart with its Ferris wheel, carousel, trampolines and beautiful valley views; the Niklosmaart showcasing a 20-metre-tall Christmas tree and touting visits from Saint Nick; and Winterkids, providing a line-up of fun activities for the whole family, from workshops to puppet shows and more. [Photo © Alfonso Salgueiro/LFT]
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13 Holiday Markets You’ve Never Heard Of – But Should Experience.
Slide Nr 7Madeira, Portugal – If we have to travel to the middle of the North Atlantic to experience one of Europe’s most exuberant holiday markets, so be it! Capital Funchal is a wonderland of holiday spirits from the moment the Christmas lights are lit on 1 December. The streets are awash in festive illuminations, poinsettia towers adorn city squares, and orchestral music wafts on a sea breeze. However, the magic truly happens on 23 December at the annual Christmas market and all-night street party. Avenida Arriaga is the place to go to purchase last-minute gifts and exotic flowers, but also to enjoy a jolly atmosphere with live music, local food and even grand fireworks displays; Madeira’s holiday market is such a sight to see that, pre-COVID, cruise ships would make a point of stopping here for the occasion. [Photo: Jane White/Wikimedia Commons]
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13 Holiday Markets You’ve Never Heard Of – But Should Experience.
Slide Nr 9Toronto, Canada – The Distillery District’s holiday market is a clear highlight of the year, boasting a Ferris wheel, beer gardens and live entertainment like carollers and folk dancers, not to mention a head-spinning array of stands peddling artisanal goods and piping-hot culinary specialties from all around the world. Due to the ongoing pandemic, however, the programme is slightly different for 2021: The Distillery Winter Village promises a more intimate but no less enchanting ambience, with a 16-metre Christmas tree and a soft-glowing light canopy setting a romantic holiday scene. Explore the curated market stalls, but spare some time to check out the charming boutiques and art galleries the district is known for.
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13 Holiday Markets You’ve Never Heard Of – But Should Experience.
Slide Nr 10Montréal, Canada – For festivities with French-Canadian flair, Montréal doesn’t disappoint. Each of the city’s three marchés de Noël offers a slightly different flavour: There’s the Christmas Village with its focus on ethically made, eco-responsible foods and products, as well as family-friendly activities like the sleigh cinema, new this year; the Jean-Talon Christmas Market, now in its second year and doubled in size, peddling the creations of local artists and artisans; and the Grand Montréal Christmas Market, a festive spectacular featuring not only 30 quaint ‘log cabin’ shopping and dining stalls, but also musical and theatrical programming that would put a smile on the face of Ebenezer Scrooge himself. [Photo: La Lutinerie/Vincent Nedelec]
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13 Holiday Markets You’ve Never Heard Of – But Should Experience.
Slide Nr 11Chicago, USA – Come for the sausages, stay for everything else. The fact that this popular holiday market is famous for its meat tubes probably has something to do with its German heritage, having been founded 25 years ago by a subsidiary of the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest. Yet the Christkindlmarket is so much more than that. Upheld as one of the “most authentic traditional holiday markets of its kind outside of Europe”, the festive wooden chalets at Daley Plaza offer up the customary treasures and delights of the Old World, including cuckoo clocks, hand-carved wooden toys and artisanal ornaments, not to mention mulled wine, raclette cheese, strudel, pretzels and yes, Bratwurst. Need some peace while you finish checking items off your Christmas list? The Kinder Club arranges fun activities for all ages.
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13 Holiday Markets You’ve Never Heard Of – But Should Experience.
Slide Nr 12New York City, USA – There’s always a funky market to be found somewhere in the Big Apple, but towards the end of the year, the selection reaches its peak – and comes with peak holiday cheer. Union Square is home to the largest and best known of them, with more than 160 vendors selling unique and affordable gifts for everyone on your list. Situated at the southwest corner of Central Park, Columbus Circle Holiday Market is another favourite for locally made artisanal items – and can be easily combined with a wintry stroll in the park or, dare we say it, a turn on one of the park’s famous ice skating rinks.
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13 Holiday Markets You’ve Never Heard Of – But Should Experience.
Slide Nr 13Melbourne, Australia – If you’re in Melbourne, there’s only one place to be on Monday nights in December: the String Bean Alley Christmas Night Market at Queen Victoria Market. Shop for locally made gifts under the twinkling light canopies of the open-air laneways, stopping for sustenance at the city’s best food trucks and quenching your thirst with cool summer drinks at Brick Lane Bar. You can count on holiday entertainment, too, from Christmas carollers to a roving musical and even Santa himself, his trusty elves in tow. [Photo via qvm.com.au]
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Travel
13 Holiday Markets You’ve Never Heard Of – But Should Experience.
Slide Nr 14Sydney, Australia – Handcrafted gifts, delectable gourmet specialties, harbour views and a festive ambience? Don’t mind if we do! The Rocks Christmas Markets take over the cobbled laneways of Sydney’s historic and sought-after waterside district, promising high-quality products from the area’s most creative artists and makers, not to mention flavour sensations from local chefs and vendors. Add in street performers (elves on stilts!), live music and DJ sets, and you’re in for a real yuletide treat. [Photo: Anna Kucera]
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