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INTERVAL WORLD
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Fall 2015 IntervalWorld.com
BY BETSY SHELDON
Shopping
town square hums with bun-
dled shoppers warding off the
cold with hot, spiced wine. Twinkling light
strands wrap around market stalls thick with
the scents of gingerbread and roasted
chestnuts. The jingle of bells punctuates the
conversation of commerce as vendors sell
their crafts — wooden toys, glass orna-
ments, and Christmas angels.
The picture evokes a Dickensian tale, a
Currier & Ives print — something from a time
long past. But this scene continues to play out
in the modern day every holiday season in
Germany, Austria, and surrounding regions
shaped by Teutonic influence.
The Christmas markets of Europe, cele-
brated in towns large and small, hark back
hundreds of years to medieval times, when
Christmas
Markets
Holiday
Wonderlands
Bear Gifts and
Glad Tidings
A
argalis/Getty Images; 4FR/Getty Images; Hans Huber/age fotostock