Sunday, December 24, 2023

Christmasmarkets

Christ Markets are the places not just for shopping but also for enriching our holiday experiences and lifting up the spirit of the holiday.

S
tarting in late November or early December, many places set up Christmas markets to sell holiday crafts, sweets, gifts, games, foods, wines, or coffee in many places all over the world. I Visited Christmas markets in Brussels Belgium and London. Those Christmas markets brought us holiday themes, fun places to go, and cultural enrichment.

In early December, I stayed in Brussels for a couple of days. The Christmas markets near the city center are very big with hundreds of booths and merchants, decorated with holiday lights and ornaments, sell exquisite crafts and gifts, delicious sweets and foods, quality clothing and accessories, and are very crowded, full of the holiday theme.

Since mid December, I have visited a couple of Christmas markets in London. They spread around the main subway station over the city, usually nearby shopping centers or city parks bringing holiday entertainment for people and reflecting the Christmas spirit.

Winter Christmas Wonderland located in Hyde park is one of the biggest Christmas markets with amusement park themes attracting people all over the place. They come here for relaxing, eating, shopping, ice skating, playing games, and having family fun together. Not so far away, there is the swan lake also bringing joys to visitors

In the center of London, there are quite a few Christmas markets in different main streets. I went to the market in Trafalgar square and Covent gardens. Even on rainy days, there are lots of people and lots of booths that bring more fun to those tourist hot spots.

A few days ago, I intended to visit the poetry library which is located in the Southbank center. Not only did I visit the library there, but also stopped by the Christmas market located on the bank of river Thames in the afternoon. Many local families came here for meals doing Christmas shopping and let their young kids play games full of holiday themes. Standing on the nearby golden Jubilee suspension bridge, you can capture the city view and watch over the tower tip. The trees are decorated with Christmas lights and the shops around are full of people who entertain themselves during the holiday season. 

Yesterday, I stopped by the Ealing Broadway Christmas center, saw the deer and love lighting symbols and decorations. There is even a mini Santa workshop inside the store, where kids chatted with Santa and big bears. There are quite a few department stores, smaller boutiques, flower stands, cafes & restaurants there. Upstairs, it’s the community library, but they are closed at the holidays. People came here to buy Christmas gifts, home decorations, full of the holiday delight. 

There are perhaps dozens of Christmas markets in London, I can’t visit them all. I believe each one of them has unique themes, fun activities and special merchandise. They are the places not just for shopping but also for enriching our holiday experiences and lifting up the spirit of the holiday.

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