There’s nothing quite like a German Christmas Market (Weihnachtsmarkt).
And the Hamburg Christmas Market is probably my favorite. It’s the
Weihnachtsmarkt of my childhood and probably the only one that serves
Fischbrötchen (fish on a roll).
Hamburg Christmas Market – In Another Minute (347) [4k]
This video of the Hamburg Christmas Market, I filmed last week at two
different markets that are near each other: the Weisser Zauber at
Jungfernstieg (on the Alster River) and the Hamburger Weihnachtsmarkt at
the Rathausmarkt (city hall square). I filmed this video before the attack on the Berlin Christmas Market.
For
several days, I contemplated if I should publish this video at all – in
the aftermath of such a tragedy. Then it became obvious: of course, I
would publish a German Christmas Market video this week! As a matter of
fact, by now I feel lucky that I had filmed such a video during my trip
back home to Germany so I could take a stand this week. It’s very
important to me that I, together with people around the world, celebrate
the spirit of Christmas and of German Christmas Markets especially this
week!
At German Christmas Markets you get to experience the true
spirit of Christmas, as I understand it. I flock to these markets in
Germany because they remind me of what these holidays are about:
community, family, love, peace, giving, fun, bright lights in dark and
cold times, and the joys of life. Germans and foreigners get together
with friends and family at Christmas Markets to enjoy hot beverages and
fresh-made food and take their time to select handmade crafts as gifts
to people they love. These markets are not about consumerism or
religion.
Christmas Markets are a clear counterpoint to the hate,
fear, destruction and the need for violence and intimidation that
terrorists embody and want to spread. These people may succeed in
killing, spreading terror and breaking hearts. But then we get up the
next day and spread love, compassion, joy, peace, giving and creativity
again. The terrorists are NOT succeeding in spreading their hate, fear
and need for violence and intimidation! This video is my humble attempt
to take a stand against terrorists and to celebrate humanity.
In
this video about the Hamburg Christmas Market, you will see my best
friend Erik Jürgensen smiling and drinking a hot chocolate. I celebrate
him and our friendship. I also celebrate all the people who have shown
kindness and compassion to me and others. Over the last few days, I was
very moved by all the friends who have reached out to me to make sure I,
my family and friends were okay. It’s been especially heartening how
many “online friends” reached out – from all over the world with all
kinds of different backgrounds. While on one hand, there are people who
hate so much and refuse to get along, on the other hand there are so
many people who connect with strangers online (and in person) to share
their creations and learn about each others cultures with open hearts
and open minds. I celebrate that!
But people died at the
Breitscheidplatz Christmas Market in Charlottenburg, Berlin, this week.
For their families and friends, it must be impossible to think of
celebrating and joy these days. My heart aches for them. My own
sister-in-law and nephew were at that market one day before the attack. I
can’t imagine how I would feel if they had been there one day later.
I
wish I would know what to do specifically to help prevent such
tragedies. They shouldn’t be happening. No one should lose loved ones
this way – or be witness to such attacks. But alas, I don’t know what to
do besides making and sharing videos, photographs and texts about the
joys of life and nature to hopefully inspire others to lead happy lives
and be creative instead of being miserable and destructive.
With all of this in mind, I wish you the merriest of holiday seasons you can have and a happy 2017!
The
song in this video is an adaptation of the English traditional carol
“We Wish You A Merry Christmas” performed by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. Thank you, Kevin, for using your creativity to spread joy.
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| Hamburg Christmas Market – Hamburger Weihnachtsmarkt Rathausmarkt |