CHRISTMAS MARKETS   >   SPECIALISTS   >   INDEX


christmas fairs in austria, belgium, france, germany, italy, netherlands, uk

travel agencies, guides / christmas related books


 
Picture the scene: it's the week before Christmas, and the morning post arrives with a special Santa letter for your child. Imagine their face as they open their very own personalised letter from Father Christmas.

United Kingdom  -   see Christmas Markets in the UK

Austria   [ Vienna,  Salzburg ]   -   see Christmas Markets in Austria

Belgium   -   see Christmas Fairs in Belgium

Denmark  -   see Christmas Markets in Denmark

France   -   see Christmas Fairs France

Germany    -   see Christmas Markets in Germany

Italy   -   see Christmas markets in Italy 

Liechtenstein    -   see Christmas in Liechtenstein

In Liechtenstein, the Christmas season starts around December 6th or 7th.
St Nicholas, usually a family member or friend in costume, visits each household to meet with the children [ to ask them if they have been good or bad ]. Then the children tell him what they want the Christmas Angel to bring them on Christmas Eve.

Netherlands   -   see Christmas Markets in Holland

Christmas in the rest of Europe

  Budapest    -   Hungary
Various activities in Vaci Utca (main shopping street) and Heroes Square . Traditional Hungarian dancing, carol singing and stalls selling local specialities such as Hungarian Christmas cake.
  Helsinki   -   Finland
In Esplanade Park in the city centre. Stalls selling Finnish crafts, baked goods and other specialities.
  Krakow   -   Poland
Christmas gifts and fo od (honey cake, sweets),  Local handicrafts (sculptures, embroidery),  Hot wine and grilled sausages on sale
  Prague   -   Czech Republic
Two markets, one in Wenceslas Square and the other in the Old Town Square [ daily carol concerts performed by children's choirs ].  Hot wine, waffles, marionettes, straw decorations, cut glass, candles and typical Czech cookies on sale in the markets.
  Stockholm   -   Sweden
The Skansen Christmas market is one of the biggest in Sweden and dates back to 1903 (100 years in 2003). Enjoy music and fireside warmth in houses and homesteads, admire craft products in the Town Quarter, sample glögg, the traditional Swedish Christmas drink, and join in the dancing round the Christmas tree.  There are many things to buy from shops and stores along the market street: Swedish craft products, traditional Christmas ornaments, sweets and Christmas fare.  Also 13 December – St Lucia Day: Annual festival of light and procession through Stockholm.
  Tallinn, Estonia   -   City of Tallinn   -   Tourism   -   Tourist Board Tallinn
Raekoja ( Medieval Town Hall Square ) - various stalls selling local handicrafts

Travel Agents / Tour Operators



  Angela Holidays   -   The South Coast Leader for Coach Holidays
Tours to Germany, Holland, Belgium, France, The Czech Republic and Austria as well as two new destinations in England.
  Cook's Coaches   -   operating in the Southend-on-Sea area of Essex
Brugge via shuttle  -  see the town dressed for Christmas.



  Kirbys Coaches   -   based in Rayleigh, Essex
Christmas Markets on the Banks of the Rhine,  Picture-book Monschau for Christmas Market,  Cologne
  Kirker Holidays   -   specialist in City Breaks
Enjoy a "pre-Christmas Christmas" with Kirker this December. Fly from your local airport, enjoy the luxury of Kirker transfers on arrival and departure, and stay in one of Kirker's carefully selected hotels from characterful 3* to the finest 5* de Luxe – now available at low winter prices.  A wonderful choice of towns and cities to visit…  Berlin, Bruges, Budapest, Copenhagen, Dresden, Helsinki, Krakow, Lille, Maastricht, Prague, Salzburg, St. Peterburg, Stockholm, Tallinn, Vienna etc.
  Leger Holidays

  Moswin Tours
Moswin Tours offers Christmas Market Breaks to an extensive range of resorts throughout Germany: Aachen , Augsburg, Berlin, Bremen, Cologne, Dresden, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Koblenz, Lübeck, Munich, Nurnberg, Regensburg, Rothenburg, Stuttgart, Trier and Wurzburg.

Travel Guides / Christmas Related Books

Swedish Christmas Traditions
A Smorgasbord of Scandinavian Recipes, Crafts, and Other Holiday Delights
Ernst Kirchsteiger (Author)
Hardcover: 128 pages; Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing (Dec 2010); ISBN-10: 1616080523; ISBN-13: 978-1616080525.

The Finnish Christmas: Traditions & Recipes from the Old Country
Sargit Warriner (Author)
Perfect Paperback: 160 pages; Publisher: North Star Pr of St Cloud (Sep 1998); ISBN-10: 0878391339; ISBN-13: 978-0878391332.

The Christmas Countdown
Creating 25 Days of New Advent Traditions for Families
Margie J. Harding (Author)
Paperback: 112 pages; Publisher: Paraclete Press (MA) (30 Nov 2010); ISBN -10: 1557256985; ISBN-13: 978-1557256980.


Links 

  Absolutely Crackers
Crackers have come a long way since they were invented in 1847 by Tom Smith. Coincidentally, Absolutely Crackers distributes the Famous Tom Smith brand to both the US and Britain.
In it's simple form a cracker is a small cardboard tube covered in a brightly coloured twist of paper. When the cracker is 'pulled' by two people, each holding one end of the twisted paper, the friction creates a small explosive 'pop' produced by a narrow strip of chemically impregnated paper. The cardboard tube tumbles a bright paper hat, a small gift, a balloon and a motto or joke.
  Airdrie Festival of Lights
Largest walk-thru Christmas light display in Western Canada, possibly even the world, but they don't like to brag.
  Christmas   -   American website
World's largest Christmas Internet portal. One-stop source for everything Christmas! Christmas Cards, Christmas Sheet Music, Christmas Trees and Lights, Clubs of America-Gifts of the Month Clubs, Deals, Gifts, Holiday Cards, Letters from Santa, New York Christmas Gifts, Ornaments and Collectibles
  Christmas Cards   -   Awesome Free Christmas Cards
  Christmas Crackers USA
Highest quality 'Party Crackers' at the lowest prices, with a variety of decorative designs and gift contents to meet any occasion.
  Christmas-Time  *****
Lots of information here about virtually every aspect of Christmas, including Christmas Poetry, Christmas Prose, Christmas History, Christmas Music [ Don't forget to switch on your speakers! ], Christmas Traditions, Christmas Stories, Christmas Quotations, Christmas Illustrations, Christmas Food,  Christmas Comedy and also the convenience of buying an amazing range of Christmas gifts on-line.
  Merry Christmas
Recipes, Cookies, Movies, Holiday Stories & Traditions, Christmas Music and more.
  National Christmas Tree Organization   -   dedicated to the christmas tree
  North Pole   -   specially for children
What do you want for Christmas,  Christmas cards, advent etc.
  Old English Crackers
Specializes in hand-crafted 'Party Crackers' made with the finest materials and featuring quality gift contents. You simply will not find a better quality for cost cracker on today's market.
  Santa Claus Pictures   -   Thomas Nast Santa Claus Pictures
All of these illustrations appeared in Harper's Weekly newspapers in the years 1863 -1865. This is a fabulous source of information on the History of Santa Claus, and the origins of our Christmas Traditions. It can be seen that our popular image of Santa was first introduced by Nast during the Civil War. Thomas Nast's picture of Santa would continue to evolve over the years, but  it is fascinating to study these early images and spot all the Santa traditions that we still practice today.  Click on the Illustrations to be taken to large images and detailed descriptions of the Santa Claus artwork.
  Tree Treasures Canada   -   Christmas Tree Ornaments
Angels, Animals, Bird Ornaments, Canadian Symbols, Carved Clip-on Birds, Grosbeaks, Little Drummer Boys, Marine Life Ornaments, Owls, Personalized Ornaments, St. Nicholas Ornaments, Santa Claus, Woodpeckers and More...

 
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