Christkindelsmärik (

Alsatian dialect Alsatian ( or "Alsatian German"; Lorraine Franconian: ''Elsässerdeitsch''; ; or ) is the group of Alemannic German dialects spoken in most of Alsace, a formerly disputed region in eastern France that has passed between French and German co ...

meaning "Market of the Christ Child") is a

Christmas market A Christmas market is a street market associated with the celebration of Christmas during the four weeks of Advent. These markets originated in Germany, but are now held in many countries. Some in the U.S. have Phono-semantic matching, adapted ...

held annually in

Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...

, France, on the Grande Île, near

Strasbourg Cathedral Strasbourg Cathedral or the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg (, or ''Cathédrale de Strasbourg'', ), also known as Strasbourg Minster (church), Minster (), is a Catholic cathedral in Strasbourg, Alsace, France. Although considerable parts of ...

and the

Place Kléber The Place Kléber (''Kleberplatz'' in German) is the central square of Strasbourg, France. As the largest square at the center of Strasbourg, in the heart of the city's commercial area, it was named after French revolutionary general Jean-Ba ...

.Noël à Strasbourg. (Unknown last update). ''Noël à Strasbourg''. Retrieved July 08, 2007, from It draws in approximately 2 million visitors each year and since the arrival of TGV service in Strasbourg in 2007, the number of visitors has been on the rise. Hotels can be booked a year in advance and some receive between 15 and 17% of their yearly income thanks to the Christkindelsmärik's visitors.Retrieved May 02, 2013, from It is considered one of the most famous Christmas markets throughout Europe. It is estimated that the city benefits of a 16 million Euros profit from this 38-day-long tradition. It is mostly famous for its fragrance of

mulled wine Mulled wine, also known as spiced wine, is an alcoholic drink usually made with red wine, along with various mulling spices and sometimes raisins, served hot or warm. It is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas. It is ...

(; ).Retrieved May 02, 2013, from

History

Strasbourg has been holding Christkindelsmärik around its cathedral since 1570, making it one of the oldest Christmas markets in Europe. The name "Christkindelsmärik" is of Alsatian origin, a low Alemannic German dialect which was the mainly spoken language in the

Alsace Alsace (, ; ) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in the Grand Est administrative region of northeastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine, next to Germany and Switzerland. In January 2021, it had a population of 1,9 ...

until the 20th century. In many parts of south Germany and Austria

christmas market A Christmas market is a street market associated with the celebration of Christmas during the four weeks of Advent. These markets originated in Germany, but are now held in many countries. Some in the U.S. have Phono-semantic matching, adapted ...

s (German: Weihnachtsmärkte) are also called ''Christkind(e)l(s)markt'' (the spelling depends on the local dialect). The market takes place annually, from 29 November to 31 December. It mainly takes place on

, Place Broglie, Place du Marché aux cochons de lait and around the cathedral.

Planned bomb attack

There was an

Al-Qaeda , image = Flag of Jihad.svg , caption = Jihadist flag, Flag used by various al-Qaeda factions , founder = Osama bin Laden{{Assassinated, Killing of Osama bin Laden , leaders = {{Plainlist, * Osama bin Lad ...

plan to bomb the Christmas market at the foot of the cathedral during the Christmas celebrations of 2000. This was discovered and foiled by authorities in December 2000.

Shooting attack

On 11 December 2018, a shooting and stabbing attack occurred at the Christmas market, killing five and injuring several. The attacker, Cherif Chekatt, was injured during a shootout with French soldiers during Opération Sentinelle near the scene and shot dead by police in Strasbourg on 13 December. The incident was classified as terrorism by authorities, who identified the shooter as a known extremist who had been tagged with a '' fiche "S"'' (S file or security file), the highest warning level for French state security.

The tree

The Christkindelsmärik's Christmas tree, on Place Kléber, is traditionally of imposing height. Topping at , the 2010 tree dwarfed much of its surroundings. The trees of the following years were only slightly less conspicuous: in 2011, 2015, and in 2018; in 2013, etc. At , the 2019 tree surpassed even its 2010 counterpart.

References

External links