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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 (1 children)

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 (2 children)

What is NEL?

[–] CptVimes@kbin.social 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

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 1 points 2 years ago

North East Lincolnshire, our twinned city.

[–] CarbonatedPastaSauce@lemmy.world 7 points 2 years ago (1 children)

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

[–] 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.

[–] Z3k3@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago (3 children)

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 (1 children)

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 (1 children)

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 (1 children)

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 (1 children)

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

[–] Pistcow@lemm.ee 3 points 2 years ago (3 children)

You drink weird tasting warmed wine and eat stale pretzels. Creepy European Santa is present. Also, pop-up shops and I didn't know dried horse meat was a thing in Frankfort.

[–] Z3k3@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Sounds like a regular Christmas Market. Never heard of a German one though

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

They are from Germany, that's why some call them "German" Christmas Market.

[–] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Glühwein is awesome. How does European Santa differ from I'm guessing British Santa?

[–] Pistcow@lemm.ee 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Creepy

[–] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Looks like regular Santa to me, not sure what's creepy about that. Is British Santa not the same as that?

[–] Pistcow@lemm.ee 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I'm used to Coca-Cola (capatilist) santa.

[–] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 1 points 2 years ago

I don't think "European Santa" is very far from that, with bunch of variations across Europe of course

[+] TheGiantKorean@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

[deleted]

[–] DarkThoughts@kbin.social 8 points 2 years ago (2 children)

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

[–] 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

[–] knatschus@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 2 years ago (2 children)

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 (1 children)

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

[–] DarkThoughts@kbin.social 2 points 2 years ago

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