December. December.
Where clouds of work start to form on the horizon of a sunny student life (papers and presentations). In Germany, December is a month filled with Christmas markets, Glühwein (mulled wine), and gingerbread-like sweets. About a month out from Christmas, all German towns and cities fill their squares with little stands, selling almost every Christmas themed good possible. There were candies to be had, wooden nutcrackers to be bought, and warm drinks to be consumed.
Since this pre-holiday period in Germany is new to me, I would sometimes take the longer way home, stopping in the downtown area to peak around and envelope myself with the sights and sounds. The most memorable Christmas market event would have to be watching a figure, dressed with a horribly frightening witch’s mask, parade down a row of food stalls, stopping to hand out pieces of sweet bread to children. The children, all not more than four years old, naturally cried in terror and looking at the costume, I probably would have too. As an onlooker, the scene reminded me all too much of the Grimm Brother’s Hansel and Gretel, where kids are lured to a witch’s candy house only to be held captive.
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| UofM Alumni at the Augsburg X-mas market |
