From late November, almost every German town square fills with wooden huts, fairy lights and the smell of mulled wine, roasted almonds and sausages. The Weihnachtsmarkt is where colleagues go after work, where friends meet in the cold, and where you'll hold a hot mug in gloved hands for an hour and call it a good evening.
You'll be ordering in a crowd, with music playing and people behind you. Here are the short phrases that get you a drink, a snack and your deposit back.
When Christmas Markets Open
Most markets open in the last week of November and close on 23 December or Christmas Eve. Many wait until after Totensonntag, the Sunday of remembrance for the dead just before Advent, because it's a quiet day on which state holiday laws restrict public events. A few stay open after Christmas as a Wintermarkt. Check your town's website for exact dates.
In the south the market is often called Christkindlmarkt or Christkindlesmarkt, after the Christkind, who brings the presents there.
Ordering at the Stall
A mulled wine, please.
Einen Glühwein, bitte.
Two mulled wines, with a shot.
Zwei Glühwein mit Schuss, bitte.
A children's punch, please.
Einen Kinderpunsch, bitte.
Red or white?
Rot oder weiß?
With or without deposit?
Mit oder ohne Pfand?
Is that with the deposit?
Ist das mit Pfand?
A bratwurst in a roll, please.
Eine Bratwurst im Brötchen, bitte.
With mustard, please.
Mit Senf, bitte.
A bag of roasted almonds, please.
Eine Tüte gebrannte Mandeln, bitte.
Practice these words
Einen Glühwein, bitte.
Mit Schuss means a shot of rum, amaretto or another spirit added to the mulled wine. Children, and anyone driving, get Kinderpunsch, a hot fruit punch without alcohol.
Glühwein stays the same in the plural when you order: Zwei Glühwein, the same way people say zwei Bier.
The Mug Deposit
Glühwein comes in a ceramic mug, and you pay a deposit, Pfand, on top of the price, usually a few euros. Bring the mug back to the stall you bought it from, or to any stall using the same mugs or marked Pfandrückgabe, and you get the deposit back.
I'd like to return the mug.
Ich möchte die Tasse zurückgeben.
Where can I return the mug?
Wo kann ich die Tasse abgeben?
Can I keep the mug?
Kann ich die Tasse behalten?
A refill, please.
Einmal nachfüllen, bitte.
Practice these words
Ich möchte die Tasse zurückgeben.
Keep it if you like: if you don't bring the mug back, the deposit pays for it, and it's yours. Many markets print a new design every year, and some people collect them.
What to Eat and Drink
| On the board | What it is |
|---|---|
Glühwein | mulled red or white wine with spices |
Feuerzangenbowle | mulled wine with a rum-soaked sugar cone set on fire above it |
Eierpunsch | hot egg punch, often with whipped cream |
Kinderpunsch | hot fruit punch without alcohol |
Bratwurst | grilled sausage, usually in a bread roll |
gebrannte Mandeln | almonds roasted in caramelised sugar, sold in paper cones |
heiße Maronen | roasted chestnuts |
Reibekuchen / Kartoffelpuffer | potato fritters, often with apple sauce |
Champignons | fried mushrooms with garlic sauce |
Lebkuchen | spiced gingerbread, soft and often chocolate-coated |
Lebkuchenherz | a big gingerbread heart with an iced message, to give or hang up |
Magenbrot | small spiced gingerbread pieces with a cocoa glaze |
Flammkuchen | thin flatbread with crème fraîche, onions and bacon |
Lebkuchenherzen carry messages in icing, such as Ich hab dich lieb or Für Mama. They're meant to be given and hung up more than eaten.
Shopping at the Stalls
How much is this?
Was kostet das?
Is it handmade?
Ist das handgemacht?
Do you have it in another colour?
Haben Sie das auch in einer anderen Farbe?
Can I pay by card?
Kann ich mit Karte zahlen?
Could you gift-wrap it?
Können Sie es als Geschenk einpacken?
I'm just looking.
Ich schau nur.
Practice these words
Was kostet das?
Bring cash: more stalls take cards every year, but plenty of food huts and small craft stands still take cash only. More in why Germans still pay cash.
Famous Markets
| Market | Known for |
|---|---|
Nürnberg, Christkindlesmarkt | opened by the Christkind, a young woman in gold who reads a prologue from the church balcony; Nuremberg bratwurst and Lebkuchen |
Dresden, Striezelmarkt | one of the oldest markets, named after Striezel, the old word for Stollen |
Köln | several markets in the city, including one in front of the cathedral |
Erzgebirge towns | carved wooden figures, incense smokers, candle arches and pyramids |
Tips for a Good Evening
- Go early or midweek. On Friday and Saturday evenings the big markets are crowded shoulder to shoulder.
- Watch your bag. Announcements warning about pickpockets, Taschendiebe, are common in big cities.
- Dress warmly. You'll stand still on cold cobbles for an hour. Thick socks matter more than a stylish coat.
- After-work tradition: many teams go together in December, and it can replace or follow the office Christmas party, the Weihnachtsfeier.