It's that time of year - Christkindlmarkt

I'm always surprised when people who have read Mist in the Meadow ask me about Christkindlmarkt. For me, it's a part of living where I do. When my kids were young, their choir sang at a local, scaled down version. In the Big City, the market takes over Daley Plaza every year right around Thanksgiving. 

So what is it? It's a Christmas market. The tradition comes over from Germany and from Norway. For the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas, vendors from around the world set up an outdoor market filled with ethnic Christmas treasures. The prevailing nationality is German, and several booths serve Glűhwein and beer and bratwurst. From handmade ornaments to Sherpa jackets, from cuckoo clocks to imported candies. There's a little bit of everything. Even if you aren't interested in shopping, it's a traditional kick-off to the holiday season. And what did I buy? Helmut's Strudel and hot spiced cider. Yum!

Here are some of the treasures we saw when we went down last weekend.

Looking on from across the street

Traditional beer steins

Hand carved wood

Cuckoo clocks

Original German glass Christmas
ornaments from Ernstthal Germany