Christkindlesmarkt Market

The market’s open from late November through Christmas Eve and due to work schedules, today was the last day of the year we could go so despite the sleet and blowing snow, we headed over to the CTA to venture downtown. Our train arrived right under Daley Plaza where the Christkindlesmarkt was being held so we headed up the stairs and into an outdoor market that would have been at home in Nuremburg. Nuremburg is home to one of the oldest Christmas Markets in Germany, having held a market almost every year since 1628.

Although much younger than Nuremburg’s, Chicago’s market is no less festive. Walking out from the train station, we were caressed by the scents of cinnamon nuts, mulled cider, bratwurst, and other treats. Despite the blowing sleet, hundreds of people were perusing the goods offered by the vendors who, like their counterparts in Germany, were housed in small tents covered with red and white striped awnings. Many of the merchants had come over from abroad to offer their wares and share stories of their home countries. We saw beautiful woven sweaters from the Himalayas, carved statues from Africa, and blown glass and carved statues from Germany.

It was hard not to whip out the credit card and take home a treasure trove of goodies, but my new mantra has become “is it necessary?” so I resisted the urge to take home goodies from every shop and limited my purchases to a few. I bought some heart shaped ornaments to commemorate John surviving a heart attack and gifts for my daughter and mom (I can’t tell you what they are because they read my blog). It was really hard to resist bringing home the carved dragons, but I couldn’t figure out where we’d put them once we got them home so I resisted.

The wonderful smells from the food tents were making all three of us hungry so we headed to the food stalls. Caitlin was first up to order and her order for sauerkraut in a bun had the man behind the counter scratching his head and asking his counterpart if they really could sell sauerkraut in a bun. He was assured they could, so he scooped the pickled cabbage into a bun and handed it to Caitlin. Sean ordered a traditional pork sandwich that he swore was spam on a bun. The hot drinks, cider for Cat and hot chocolate for Sean, warmed them up and filled them with holiday cheer. Baked apples served as desert and eaten warm and coated in cinnamon and sugar they offered another warm treat on a cold winter night.

While the kids ate their food, I heard Christmas carols being played on a Sax and headed over to listen to inspiring sounds of a street musician playing on the corner. I dropped a few bucks in his cardboard box, wished him a happy holiday, and the kids and I headed to the stairs to catch the CTA back home. Looking back towards the Christmas Market, I was struck by how Chicago’s famous Picasso structure looked like a benevolent watch dog watching over the market goers.

Frozen noses and toes aside, our trip to the market was a magickal adventure at the most giving time of the year and we headed home with our hearts filled with the bliss of the season.