The Complete History of Christmas Markets

Along with the traditions of decorating the Christmas tree and baking gingerbread, Christmas markets originated in Germany.

Many Christmas traditions were brought to the U.S. by European immigrants throughout the 18th century. Christmas markets, however, remained reserved for Europe until the late 20th century.

Despite the tradition’s late development outside of Europe, today, Christmas markets are among the most-favored holiday entertainments in the U.S., Asia, and Russia – and rightfully so.

Christmas Markets Origins

Numerous sources online say that the first Christmas market in the world was held in 1296 in Vienna. It was known as the December market.

That year, Duke Albert I made amendments to city legislation, which included the right to organize 14-day fairs.

However, the official website of Vienna city contradicts this statement. City’s accounts dating to the 13th century never included any revenues or expenses associated with the organization of Christmas fairs.

In truth, the first-ever real Christmas market dates to 1434 in Dresden, Germany. Earlier mentions of December markets were also found in Munich, Bautzen, and Frankfurt in the early 14th century.

The original German names for Christmas markets were Christkindlmarkt and Weihnachtsmarkt.

The first one refers to the German traditional gift-giver Christkindl, translating as “Christ child.” This angelic creature can make a serious competition to Santa in the region.

To this day, German Christmas markets are often opened by a girl acting Christkindl, wearing a white and gold robe, wings, and a golden crown.

Like modern holiday fairs, the early Christmas markets used to sell seasonal treats, crafts, and decorations. Shopping was usually accompanied by performances such as dancing and singing.

Over time, the Christmas market tradition has spread across Germany and received an especially big boost after Martin Luther said that Christmas was a more appropriate day for gift-giving than the birthday of any other saint in the 16th century.

The first markets were always held near churches rather than in major town squares.

The main purpose was not gaining revenue but rather attracting more people to attend the Midnight Mass. However, public interest in holiday shopping had the opposite effect.

Churches quickly found themselves competing against Christmas fairs. Meanwhile, other European countries began to adopt the tradition, including France that has held the Strasbourg market annually since 1570.

Protestant Reformation Influence

The 16th and 17th centuries in Europe are known as the Protestant Reformation times.

This movement was meant to make amendments to what Protestants perceived as mistakes in the Catholic church and has led to the split in Western Christianity.

Protestant Reformation is also considered one of the events that signified the beginning of the early modern period in Europe. Indeed, it had a major influence on European culture and Christmas traditions in particular.

The Protestant Reformation began in 1517 when Martin Luther published his Disputation on the Power of Indulgences. Many Christmas traditions were banned in the following years, such as caroling and mummering.

As you already know, Christmas markets were initially seen as a way to improve church attendance rates. One of the reasons they flourished throughout the 16th century was the lack of any other Christmas activities.

Although this decision didn’t have the desired effect, the German government didn’t ban holiday fairs. However, Protestant rule slowed down Christmas market transmission into countries that didn’t adopt them prior to its start.

For instance, England, one of the strictest in enforcing Protestant laws on locals, only held the first Christmas market in 1982, and Sweden in 1837.

The governments weren’t particularly worried about fairs making competition to churches – they simply didn’t look for any ways to make Christmas celebrations more fun.

Christmas Fairs & Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution of the 19th century has given yet another boost to the Christmas market tradition. The standards of living grew, and the technological surge resulted in more diverse merchandise offers in larger quantities.

For instance, the Berlin Christmas market expanded from slightly over 300 stalls in the 18th century to over 600 by 1840.

Christmas markets created additional working places for the lower classes and attracted elites hunting for cheap gifts and treats.

German police, however, wasn’t fond of the influx of unruly masses of workers to major cities. They often saw it as a threat.

Later, capitalists also turned against the tradition, complaining about the decreasing revenues of department stores at Christmas time.

This led to many German cities relocating their Christmas markets to the outskirts. They returned to the city centers in the 1930s when the Nazi Party came to rule.

The parties’ goal was to transform Christmas from a religious holiday into a nationalistic that honored German heritage.

Since Christmas markets originated in Germany and helped to boost the economy during the Great Depression, they remained.

With the beginning of World War ll, Christmas market stalls were closed. But the public interest in Christmas shopping has only grown in the post-war decades, fueled by economic boom and media focus on consumerism.

Christmas Markets in the U.S.

Some may think that Christmas markets arrived in the U.S. along with other Christmas traditions during colonial times. However, the New World has skipped the tradition in the 17th century and only adopted it a few decades ago.

The first Christmas markets in the U.S. were held in Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, and Wisconsin – states with the highest percentage of German and Scandinavian population.

Today, however, the U.S. is notorious for organizing truly impressive holiday fairs.

Some of the best Christmas markets in the U.S. are Downtown Holiday Market in Washington D.C., Union Square Holiday Market in New York, and The Great Dickens Christmas Fair in Daly City.

The Christmas market in Baltimore is a proper village rather than a scope of stalls, operating from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve and offering attendees an amusement park and beer garden in addition to shopping.

The Old World Christmas Market in Elkhart Lake, in turn, specializes in arts and crafts, offering products made by local and international artisans. There, you can find handmade glass ornaments, wreaths, gingerbread, and much more.

Christmas Markets Then & Now

Christmas markets haven’t changed drastically throughout the years, although they have become more elaborate and atmospheric.

The truth is, we don’t know much about the look of early holiday fairs. Some later illustrations depict them as a real-life winter wonderland, but this may be merely an idyllic perception of the artists.

We know for sure that the assortment of a 15th-century Christmas market was very similar to modern: they sold gingerbread and mulled wine, handmade gifts, evergreens, and decorations in cozy wooden stalls.

Many of the early Christmas markets operate to this day – that’s especially relevant for Germany and the Baltic states. It’s astonishing how no political rule has hindered the development of the tradition in these regions.

Some of such earliest still existing markets include one in Frankfurt, first held in 1393, Tallinn (1441), and Riga (1510). They attract thousands of tourists to the cities annually and support the local budget.

Largest, Brightest, & the Most Unusual Christmas Markets

The largest Christmas market in Europe is held in Berlin. In 1840, it counted over 600 stalls, but today, it’s more modest with only about 400 stalls.

Despite a common misconception, Vienna’s market wasn’t the first Christmas market in the world, but it’s known as one of the biggest. Christkindlmarkt held on Rathausplatz count about 200 wooden chalets.

The third-biggest Christmas market in Europe is one in Cologne, Germany, with about 180 chalets, and the fourth – the Bath’s Christmas market in the U.K., with about 160 chalets.

Surprisingly, the biggest doesn’t always mean the brightest. So, Singapore’s Christmas Wonderland market held at Gardens by the Bay amazes tourists and locals with Asia’s tallest Christmas tree and other illuminated attractions.

For instance, in 2018, market visitors had a chance to see a seven-story mirror maze illuminated by 252,000 bulbs and a 400-square-meter Santa Claus grotto.

The highest Christmas market in the world is held in Switzerland, at Mount Pilatus. Visitors must ride an extremely steep cog railway for 30 minutes to reach the market at over two-kilometer height.

New York’s Christmas market opens at the end of October, with over 100 chalets and an ice rink.

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair in San Francisco, in turn, brings Victorian Era London back to life, presenting visitors with three acres of old-fashioned attractions.

Moscow’s Christmas market on the Red Square is one of the latest-closing, and that’s no wonder – Orthodox celebrate Christmas on January 7, so the fair runs until late January.

The assortment is rather unusual, too – visitors can find plenty of traditional Russian souvenirs, such as matryoshka dolls. A large ice-skating ring, delicious pancakes, and mulled wine are also available.

One of the most unusual Christmas markets in Europe is the Ravenna market in Germany.

Nothing is strange about its assortment or size, but it’s situated right under a railway viaduct of the Devil’s Valley Railway in the Black Forest Highlands, in a gorge.