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Frankfurt am Main: Christmas at the Crossroads of Commerce
Many visitors know Frankfurt am Main as an important center of commerce and transportation — but the city has more to offer than a connecting flight, especially around Christmas time. Nearly three million people make their way each year to the center of the old city to a fair whose history likely reaches back to the 14th century. This year, the Frankfurt fair offers an extravagant program of music, Christmas readings, and a visit from St. Nikolaus. With light decorations that surpass many others, the fair has a Christmas “Wunderland” feel that makes it one of the most festive in Germany. The market in Frankfurt is set in the oldest part of the city, near the Römerberg. Because only local tradesmen were allowed to offer their wares at the market like in many cities at the time, Frankfurt’s fair developed its own specialties — which can still be found at the market today. Among them are the Brenten (almond cookie made with a form), Bethmännchen (a kind of marzipan ball cookie), and Quetschenmännchen (prune figures).
Up until World War II, local schoolchildren would bake gingerbread men up to the height of their teacher, whom they gifted with the baked goods. All would then eat them together on the days before Christmas. In the past few years, the Frankfurt market has been so successful that it has been imitated in cities in Great Britain such as Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Leeds. Links |
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