All we want for Christmas is … Christmas markets
It’s that time of the year again – and for us in the gang it has started with that very special moment: the lights on ceremony at Westfield Centro which we traditionally always attend together (all except holidaymakers and carnival fans, of course).
At 4:30 pm on 11 November it was finally time once again, with the Christ Child himself (as befits local tradition) coming by to switch on the 350,000+ lights in a festive ceremony officially marking the start of the festive season.
At 5 pm, over 120 lovingly decorated stalls opened to the public for the first time this year. The event was accompanied by live Christmas music and a spectacular drone show projecting a host of festive figures into the sky. Of course, the traditional tapping of the barrel at the Flachau Alm was not to be missed before the Christmas shopping experience in Oberhausen was topped off by delicious seasonal snacks enjoyed by crowds swaying together to the music.
Pre-Christmas anticipation across our centres
And even though the magical Christmas market at Westfield Centro has become one of the most successful in the entire region as the years have progressed, we don’t want to fail to mention our many other magical Christmas markets: The parade at the Ruhr Park in Bochum, the Winter Fair at the Paunsdorf Center in Leipzig the “House of Father Christmas” in the Christmas village at the Munich Pasing Arcaden and the indoor Christmas market at the Westfield Donau Zentrum are just some of the highlights that have been attracting countless visitors for many years.
So over the next few weeks we can look forward to seas of lights, the smells of mulled wine and the perennial tones of ‘Last Christmas’. And for all those who want to join in the fun, there’s always another Christmas market to look forward to! Planning for 2023 is to begin shortly, and it pays to be quick!
