Following hot on the heels of Louise and Andy’s trip to the SPS IPC Drives trade fair in Nuremberg in November, senior translator Catherine also headed to Bavaria – but this time to enjoy the region’s pre-Christmas festivities! From the first weekend in Advent until Christmas Eve, the world-famous Nuremberg Christkindlmarkt welcomes visitors from across the globe to its vast array of stalls set within the medieval city walls. Dating back to the 17th century, the market is regarded as one of the most traditional in Germany and many of the current stalls have been enticing shoppers with their superb craftsmanship and delicious cuisine for well over one hundred years. The countless wooden huts completely fill the marketplace in the heart of the old town and offer beautiful gifts including hand-crafted jewellery, decorative candles and wooden toys. Throughout the day, performances from local school, church and community groups add to the festive atmosphere and culminate in a visit from the Christkind herself – a young girl dressed in a white gown with a golden crown who is chosen to be the ambassador for the city’s Christmas celebrations. Of course, no visit at this time of year would be complete without sampling the city’s famous Elisen-Lebkuchen gingerbread, blueberry mulled wine and three sausages in a bread roll known as drei im Weggla. Further highlights include the Children’s Market with rides and activities to entertain the little ones, the Sister Cities Market selling wares from countries as far afield as Nicaragua and Sri Lanka, and the more rustic feel of the Medieval Market in nearby Fürth.
Back in Middleton, preparations for the festive season are also well underway and we’ve even been working on some seasonal translations! The decorations are up, everyone is busy planning their Secret Santa gifts and the entire LKTeam will be celebrating together at Manchester’s Christmas Markets at the end of our next team day on Friday.