The streets of this market square are all decked out in a tradition born nearly 700 years ago. Weihnachtsmarkte or Christkindlmarkte (Christmas markets, if you prefer less of a mouthful), take place around the world, but they originated in Germany as a celebratory way to observe Advent, the Christian season leading up to Christmas Eve. These markets are generally open-air affairs where everything is decorated, including the trees (called Tannenbaums in German if they"re firs). People shop from local artisans who sell their handmade wares in small wooden chalets. Then it"s off to eat traditional foods—roasted almonds, pastries, and biscuits—and sip on warm mulled wine.
It’s Weihnachtsmarkt time!
Today in History
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Sailing on thick ice
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Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
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Pining for spring
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Honoring the first American woman in space
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Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles, Bavaria, Germany
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Coming home to roost
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Terraced fields of green
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Mack Arch Rock
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Star Wars Day
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Prague, Czech Republic
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AAPI Heritage Month & Lei Day
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Hawai i Volcanoes National Park at 106
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Autumn in Alaska
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Honoring our veterans
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Presidents Day
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Happy Thanksgiving
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An ultralight aircraft flying over the sands of Namibia
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Moody skies over Valletta
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Today is World Refugee Day
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Góða ólavsøku, from the Faroes!
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European fallow deer in England
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Long-eared owl in the Czech Republic
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Visiting Ahch-To on Star Wars Day
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Infant Sumatran orangutan, Indonesia
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Uncommon clouds are gathering
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Porto Flavia, Sardinia, Italy
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Memorial Day
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Anybody out there?
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International Day for Biological Diversity
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Lace up your hiking boots for Mountain Day
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