The German Christkindl Market in Denver

A new Christmas season tradition for my husband and me is to visit the annual German Christkindl Market in downtown Denver, Colorado.   I blogged about it last year on this link, but I'd like to show you how we enjoyed the market this year. ( All photos and photo collages in this post can be enlarged for easier viewing by clicking on them.)

The free 14th annual Christkindl Market is located at Skyline Park at 16th Street Mall and Arapahoe Street and is open from November 21 to December 23, 2014.

German Christmas markets date back to the 14th century and were a popular way for German townspeople to buy holiday food and supplies, as well as to celebrate the Christmas spirit. These traditions spread to Austria and other nearby countries. To read more about Christmas in Germany, click on this link.   Although Denver's Christkindl Market is smaller than ones in Germany, it also provides a lively Christmas aura and gives one an opportunity to purchase authentic handmade ornaments from Germany and other European sources.

This German Christmas booth had many hand paint items for sale...

.....as well as many other booths that offered linens, lace, traditional lighted paper stars, wooden clocks, chocolates, wooden village houses, hand-knitted dolls, mouth-blown glass ornaments, and many other items I have not shown.

There is also a large heated tent where market-goers can sit and enjoy free entertainment as well as to buy a cup of traditional German "Gluehwein," which is a warm, spiced red wine.  Click on this link for the recipe.  A variety of German beers are also sold in the tent.

We attended the market early this year to see the opening ceremonies.  There we saw the traditional "Christkind" or "Christ Child" welcome everyone to the festivities by reading a translated version of the German Christkind welcome manuscript.  This year's Christkind was Ms. Shersten Eschhotz, who was dressed in the traditional white and golden robes.  Members of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra also performed during the opening ceremony. Click here to watch a short video on my Mille Fiori Favoriti Facebook page.

There are many opportunities to see free entertainment in the holiday tent, from German as well as worldwide traditional song and dance and instrumental music.  Click here for a schedule of entertainment events.  Saint Nicholas is in attendance one weekend of the market, dressed in his traditional bishop's robes.  Some believe Saint Nicholas is the origin of today's Santa Claus. What do you think?  To read about the German traditions of Saint Nicholas click here.

There are also opportunities to buy different ethnic foods in the Christkindl Market.  We enjoyed goulash and pierogies, and brats with sauerkraut.   So good!  We were tempted by the large soft pretzels that came with different toppings but ended up treating ourselves with a large apple strudel that we took home to have for breakfast the next day.

The Christkindl Market is especially beautiful at night, all lit up with lights and the booths warmly illuminated from inside. Local high school glee clubs often appear at the market to sing Christmas Carols, which adds to the festive atmosphere.

The iconic Daniel's and Fisher Clock Tower is located right across the street from the German market, is also lit with red lights for the Christmas season......

.......and the adjacent 16th Street Mall is alive with activity, as well as the Southwest Skating Rink, that is now in full swing.  Skating is free, if you bring your own skates, otherwise skate rental is only $2. Denver has much to offer during the Christmas season, and this is just a small sample of how this city shows its spirit!  I'll be showing much more in future posts.

Happy second Sunday in Advent! Are you finished with your Christmas preparations? This season seems to pass so quickly, doesn't it?  It is a good time to continue to reflect on all our blessings and to share happy times with those we love.

I finished all my shopping, and we decorated the outside of our house and some of the inside. We have an 8 foot Noble Fir Christmas tree this year, which we placed in a new spot in our house, as it was too wide for where we placed our tree last year. When it is all decorated I'll show some photos here on my blog. I fill it with many ornaments that mean a lot to me.  Every year those ornaments bring back special memories.  I love Christmas, don't you?