Saturday, December 13, 2008

Christmasy Things - Sharing

Munich Christmas Fair PosterOnce again many of my blog buddies are posting items special to the time of year - oh hell let's call it what it is: Christmas. Its not the Holiday Season, its not the Festive Season, its Christmas damn it! C*H*R*I*S*T*M*A*S!!!!! Okay sorry I promise not to rant but this bloody PC attitude to my religious (and secular) traditions is really starting to get to me. Anyway as I was saying quite a few friends are posting some great Christmas memories and items and I'd like to share them - plus it gives me an excuse to post some of my Munich Kristkindlmarkt photos.
Entrance to the Marienplatz Market
Unfortunately the rain made photo taking a bit difficult without magical settings and an expensive camera but the entrance to the fair in the Marienplatz at night was quite magical.

The Marienplatz tree
Though only one of the 16 or 17 Christmas Fairs throughout Munich, the one in Marienplatz is the most well known ... and photographed. We also managed to see the Airport Kristkindlmarkt, the charming childs market in the Residenz Palace, the Medieval Market in Wittelsbacher Platz and the wonderful Creche market in the Ridderplatz. We missed the Gay Christmas Market but that will have to wait until next year.

Market stall
You want decorations? They got decorations! Cookies? Yep! Candies? You betcha! 1/2 metre long hot dogs? You should ask! And while you're shopping have a hot spiced wine. Sorry guys but Walmart just ain't the same.
  • Some of you may have met Doris before - she would be EG's mother and to quote him, " Just remember though, Doris is only funny when she isn't happening to YOU!" One of my favorite Doris stories involves the Christmas tree, a gin bottle and some nails. But don't let me spoil it, just go over to EG and read all about Doris and Oh tannenbaum!
Lego Santa
And of course the many shops and department stores have their displays and windows. How about a lego Santa? Why not Neiman-Marcus is selling life-size lego statues as their His and Hers item this year.

Elves in the window
There may not be quite the same flair up North as we see in Italy but every so often a window would jump right out at you!

And there was the occasional display that suggested there might be, what could be thought of as, an Italianate influence.
  • And another Boston buddy RG has once again shared his story of the first Christmas he and his mom, Justine, were on their own. As I said to him: good stories are worth repeating, great stories are worth repeating again and again. Between EG and RG they've given us two great stories.

Cookie molds
One of the market stalls had every type of mold you'd want for stamping Springerle, those wonderful sugar dusted cookies sometimes scented with cardamon other times with anise.

Shockheaded Peter
They even had one for Struwwelpeter (Shockheaded Peter) - that slovenly anti-hero of German childrens' books. Laurent had never heard of him and the punishments meted out to misbehaving children. Good solid lessons to be learned by good boys and girls.

Carvings
But most of the wood carvings were of a religious nature and meant for home creches.
  • Jeff has been posting a riot of Santas over at his world. There's a sackful of great videos, songs and proof that Santa's a Meany. ; There's so much I can't single out one so just go over to World o'Jeff start at the top and work your way down - sort of like Santa coming down the chimney.
Laurent and the polar bear
Laurent seems to have a thing for bears and 1/2 metre long rotwurstl!

13 dicembre - Santa Lucia da Siracusa

6 comments:

evilganome said...

Merry Christmas, Willym! I'm glad you enjoyed rereading the story and I am also happy to hear you haven't been washed down the Tiber. I've been a bit concerned with the situation in Roma.

I'm happy to see that you've been getting your Christmas on in Munich. It certainly looks like an ad for holiday cheer.

Doralong said...

That my friend is a WHOLE lot of Christmas! I'm glad you two had so much fun!

Anonymous said...

I liked World o' Jeff's santas, especially since I recently enhanced my Afghan assistant's English vocabulary with the expression "to be a dick". So I will now have to further educate him information on the nuances of Christmas and Santa :)

RG said...

Thanks for the plug Willym! I'm glad you enjoyed the story - again! Frohe Weihnachten und ein glückliches neues Jahr!

Anonymous said...

My son 19 yr old son enjoyed both stories although my retelling wasn't nearly as good as the written! He laughed about the smoldering dog! We could relate his grandparents are German.
DF

sageweb said...

wow great pics..and great links .....and laurent is adorable...LOL 1/2 metre long???oh my gosh.