As someone who loves Christmas, strangely enough, I don’t love Christmas markets all that much. Why? Well, it’s a combination of the mix of crowds, the many foods I can’t eat (because not vegan), the sameness across so many markets, and the way Glühwein makes you feel terrible not all that long after you’ve drunk it that makes me feel pretty meh about them. That said, I still like to try and fit in one per season because it just feels wrong not to. And now as the parent of a three-year-old kid who is super hyped on Christmas, it’s a fun, magical, and low-stakes outing.
We missed many of the other markets this year because of my trip to the U.S. and then the general busyness of the past couple weeks, but there are a few markets that run beyond Christmas, and the one at the Rotes Rathaus was one I hadn’t yet been to in all my time in Berlin, despite its central location. So we headed out in the late morning, braving the drizzle and the fog, and headed to Alexanderplatz. Over the course of the next few hours, we walked around while B. marveled at all the decorations. He ate a waffle with Nutella and drank a hot chocolate and got to go on one of the carousels and a train ride. I had my traditional cup of hot whatever (this time it was the Elchpunsch, or Elk/Moose Punch), which was very Glögg-like and surprisingly good. And M. went along with it all, even though he likes Christmas markets less than I do. And by the time we were done, the crowds had started to appear, so we quickly headed into the station and took the S-Bahn home. And, that was a wrap… until next year!
