Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR’s international team shares moments from their lives and work around the world.
This is the year I finally kept the promise I made to my husband five years ago that we would visit the Christmas markets in Europe. It was important for us to experience these markets because we really enjoy the Christmas festivities and the mix of culture and history is hard to find anywhere else.
We walked about 16 kilometers a day on a busy schedule through a few dozen Christmas markets in Hungary, Germany and Austria. No two were the same.
The market at Vienna’s 18th-century Schönbrunn Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was one of the most special. When I first saw this huge starry arch lit up with its welcome message, I took my breath away. The market, in the grand courtyard of the palace, was packed with attractions, including an ice rink, ice games (like curling), a Ferris wheel, a carousel, and tons of food and craft stalls.
We made a point of trying local specialties like Käsespätzle (a German mac and cheese) and Glühwein, or mulled wine. Most Christmas markets in Europe serve Glühwein in collectible mugs bearing the market logo or shaped like Santa’s boot. You can pay a deposit and return the mug or keep it as a souvenir.
What I loved most was the feeling of community in these markets. They can be crowded, but everyone is there to enjoy the food, wine and fun. You often end up chatting with strangers or hearing about another stall to check out.
At the Altwiener Christkindl market, also in Vienna, we spoke with a craftsman about a New Year’s tradition, I had a pig, which means “had a pig” and symbolizes prosperity. In Germany and Austria, owning a pig was synonymous with wealth. Around the New Year, people give pig-shaped charms as a sign of good fortune. I collected several!
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