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Get into the festive mood At the Christmas market

Especially popular in Germany, Austria, parts of France, Switzerland, and the Benelux, the Christmas markets, some of which have been in existence since medieval times, are celebrated as a cultural experience, something you ‘had to do’ even if you wanted none of those bright, tinselly tree-stuff.

The one we were visiting – ‘Country and Christmas Fair 2007’ (10th year running) was an annual five-day affair (late November), taking place in the sprawling grounds of an imposing castle – Kasteel De Haar, in the pretty little village of Haarzuilens, less than an hour’s drive from Amsterdam. With nearly 200 (thankfully heated) little white tents, it looked, for one confusing moment, like a set straight from the Arabian Nights…but that was only until we saw the very-European castle. With its exquisite stained-glass windows and remarkable red-and-white shutters, the stunning, heavily turreted castle looked as though it were plucked straight from the pages of a fairy tale, while its soaring towers and brick red façade easily lent a majestic air to the whole fair.

But it wasn’t like we could just stand around all day admiring the setting…because, our hands were freezing, and so were our noses, the stalls were all heated and looked way too tempting, and no, they weren’t all just selling twinkling fairy-lights! The first few shops easily won me over, with a wide, colourful array of ceramics from Portugal and Spain (and prices which reflected the distance the mugs had travelled too!), candles in astonishing shapes and sizes, wacky metal badges and name-plates, hand-embroidered table-linen, deliciously scented vegetable soaps, and oh, a million wonderful, tempting little things… I would’ve happily spent the rest of 2007 admiring dear-little handcrafted tree-decorations, but the family clearly had other ideas and dragged me off to explore the rest of the market.

Walking through the grand, turreted archway, we reached the castle, in front of which the Carol Singers from Heemskerk, all wearing old-fashioned costumes, were enthralling visitors with a brilliant rendition of popular Dutch and English carols. The women wore long, flared gowns, their bonnets secured demurely under the chin, while the men sported magnificent side-burns, vintage coats and top-hats, their dress and demeanour elegantly complementing the stately castle behind them.

The area directly in front of the castle held many a quirky delight. It had, for instance, a unique promotion for heated outdoor baths, where a pretty, bikinied girl was happily lolling in the warm waters, sipping wine all day long! And then, there was the “star” of all Christmas-markets – the Gluhwein (mulled wine) stall. Having heard friends sing paeans to the ‘deliciously sweet and spicy’ wine, we eagerly took one sip of the warm liquid and…bah, we hated it! It was such a letdown, tasting more like an exceptionally vile kashayam than a much-hyped wine… But then, yes, it ultimately did warm our insides, and we marched on.

The market had several pavilions, where some of the more expensive, exclusive stuff were flogged – antiques, fine China, wispy handmade shawls and stoles (sold for outrageous prices), torturously carved wooden handicrafts, decadent homemade chocolates, seasonal preserves, local specialities and the like…There was plenty to keep the kids occupied too. They got free-rides on a draaimolen (a charming, vintage carousel), they could, of course for a price, make their own Venetian masks, gorge on fat, syrupy Dutch-pancakes and crisp, fragrant Speculaas (traditional, spicy cookies). And of course, buy the latest in twinkling tree-lights.

It was, by then, late afternoon, and the sun was making a dash for the west. But the market, as if mocking the feeble setting sun, continued to dazzle the visitors, glowing in the light and warmth of a thousand candles. Wooden logs were burning in little grates, while little knots of people stood around, defrosting their fingers the old-fashioned way. The crowds showed no sign of abating; in fact, even as we headed back to the car park, we were surprised to see huge numbers walking in…clearly; the Europeans liked their markets by candlelight! But whether by day or night, the Christmas market certainly makes for one unforgettable experience.

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