Just how German are "German Christmas Markets"? (lemmy.world)

submitted 2 years ago by cashews_best_nut@lemmy.world to c/askuk@feddit.uk

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All the staff are bloody English! How am I meant to practice German if none of them bloody speak it?!

False advertising.

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[-] Treczoks@feddit.uk 9 points 2 years ago

Wenn Du Deutsch üben willst, dann lass uns anfangen...

I've never been to a "German Christmas Market" in the UK, but I'll be there in December, so if you can point me to one round NEL, I could check how much "German" is there.

I had a "German Bratwurst" in the UK once. The Bratwurst was OK, but the roll was a soft roll, which would be a no-go in Germany, I assume the "German Christmas Market" is similar, trying to copy, and getting it right up to a certain level.

[-] EinfachUnersetzlich@lemm.ee 2 points 2 years ago

What is NEL?

[-] CptVimes@kbin.social 2 points 2 years ago

Not OP but I'd assume northeast London

[-] snaprails@feddit.uk 2 points 2 years ago

Very close. Well, on a cosmic scale anyway 🙂 (I'd assumed London too until I saw the answer)

[-] Treczoks@feddit.uk 2 points 2 years ago

North East Lincolnshire, our twinned city.

[-] CarbonatedPastaSauce@lemmy.world 7 points 2 years ago

I complain loudly about this type of thing every time I go to Taco Bell.

[-] TheGiantKorean@lemmy.world 8 points 2 years ago

I used to deliver Chinese food, and people would always look at me and be like, "You're not Chinese!" Like it's going to make their food taste different or something.

[-] CarbonatedPastaSauce@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago

That is ridiculous and hilarious!

[-] theKalash@feddit.ch 7 points 2 years ago

You probably need to go to German Christmas Market in Germany. Though most of the staff will still speak English.

[-] TheGiantKorean@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago

Are these actually a German thing, or just one of those things that is attributed to Germany that doesn't happen there?

[-] DarkThoughts@kbin.social 8 points 2 years ago

They are a German thing that does happen in Germany in pretty much most inner cities. At least for the bigger ones.

Christmas markets date to the Late Middle Ages in the German-speaking part of Europe and in many parts of the former Holy Roman Empire that included many eastern regions of France.[2] They became a popular Advent custom during the Reformation era.[1] Dresden's Striezelmarkt was first held in 1434 and one of the first true Christmas markets;[5] earlier markets of the season were "December markets".[5][6] Early mentions of these "December markets" can be found in Vienna (1298),[7] Munich (1310),[5] Bautzen (1384),[8] and Frankfurt (1393).[9]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_market

[-] TheGiantKorean@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

Thanks! That would be fun to go to one day.

[-] snaprails@feddit.uk 1 points 2 years ago

I went to one in Bonn but as it was so long ago that Bonn was still the capital of West Germany I don't remember it will enough to say how it compares to Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh etc. Also went to Cologne cathedral and there was some b*****d in a kilt standing outside playing the bagpipes

[-] Z3k3@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago

What's a German Christmas Market?

Is that an England thing or just a long name for Christmas markets

[-] cashews_best_nut@lemmy.world 8 points 2 years ago

Manchester and Brum have them round Xmas time selling 'German' Bratwurst and beer for £8 with lots of German flags waving.

People were buying tiny pots of baked beans with curry powder in them for silly money.

If they plan to charge me a tenner for a sausage I demand to be served in bloody German!

[-] Treczoks@feddit.uk 9 points 2 years ago

OK, one thing I can tell you is that "baked beans with curry powder" is 100% NOT genuine for a German Christnas market.

[-] RootBeerGuy@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 2 years ago

Paying silly money for it IS however very genuine for a German Christmas market.

[-] Treczoks@feddit.uk 3 points 2 years ago

Well, yes indeed!

[-] Emperor@feddit.uk 5 points 2 years ago

What’s a German Christmas Market

They're quite common in most of the big cities (I've been to the one in Manchester quite a bit, that's been running since the 80s) you get to drink gluhwein, eat schnitzel, but wooden toys and get a bit cold and underwhelmed in the process.

[-] Z3k3@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

Edinburgh has a regular Christmas Market. Not a German in sight.

Although I will admit it is superbly underwhelming.

Never seen the personally in Glasgow but I'm not there as often as Edinburgh

[-] knatschus@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 2 years ago

They are very german where i live

[-] starchylemming@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago

are they in germany perhaps?

[-] ken_cleanairsystems@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 2 years ago

But you probably don't call them "German Christmas markets"...

[-] DarkThoughts@kbin.social 3 points 2 years ago

We do, just without the "German" but of course in German and as a compound word: Weihnachtsmarkt

this post was submitted on 13 Nov 2023

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