JOIN USThere couldn’t have been a better way to set the tone for Christmas festivities in Delhi. The much-awaited annual German Christmas Market brought together festive revellers, shoppers, brands, designers and the city together in celebration of what promises to be yet another round of non-stop festivities till New Year’s eve.
Celebrating Christmas the German way has been the USP of the German Christmas Market and this year too, it did not leave its patrons and visitors disappointed. In true spirit of the season children and adults alike donned their Christmas hats and joined in the festivities at the two-day fest, which is held under the aegis of the German School and Federation of Indo-German Societies in India.
The German Christmas Market is visited by more than 12,000 visitors every year. It is aimed at providing an insight into what Christmas shopping is like in Germany --- a unique show which entered its 15th successful year in Delhi. The highlights of the event this year were German music, Christmas carols, German beer, gingerbread house, German rooftop restaurant and coffee shop, traditional German Christmas cakes, Glühwein, waffles, potato salad and German sausages. The venue was stunningly decorated with Christmas buntings, a beautifully lit up Christmas Tree adding to the festive ambience, and non-stop music by the live band, lucky draw with exciting prizes, a pulsating kids’ zone, a painting competition and magic shows by a German magician, Janko Renos, keeping the visitors delightfully entertained. And to make the festive spirit all the more Christmassy, there was ‘Santa Claus’ distributing gifts to the little ones.
Over 100 exhibitors presented an exclusive palette of interesting lifestyle products and unique gift items for the festive season. There were Christmas Trees, decorations, candles, cards, souvenirs, jewellery, home accessories, art, handicrafts, exquisite cutlery and silverware, innovative paper products, designer wear and much more.
In the true spirit of Christmas, German families and senior executives served home-baked cakes, freshly prepared waffles and other German specialities, while the children from the
German School sang in the Christmas choir.
“This is the event where CEOs and senior representatives of international corporations, ambassadors and distinguished dignitaries from various foreign embassies and trade commissions meet over chilled German Beer and sausages while their families shop exclusive lifestyle products and enjoy the excellent ambience,” stated Guido Christ, Deputy Director General, Indo-German Chamber of Commerce.
Christmas markets are a big hit in Germany with the first ever Christmas market, Dresden’s ‘Striezelmarkt’ recorded as far back as 1434. Christmas markets there usually start before the first weekend of Advent (around the end of November) and go on until Christmas Eve or even until Epiphany on 6 January.