After three months in Strasbourg, I thought that I had settled into the Alsatian lifestyle very well: adjusting to the slower pace of life and adapting to the sleepy, storybook town feel that comes with the cobbled streets lined with half-timbered houses. But today it truly hit me that the town has been truly taken over by the Christmas spirit.
Strasbourg's Christmas Market is the oldest in France, dating back to 1570, and it is a natural highlight to the city's year, but I had no idea how drastically it could change the landscape of the city. While word of the magic started officially in early November, when posters plastered on bus and tram stops showed Santa Claus, toting his sack made of an European Union flag, proclaimed that Strasbourg was the capital of Christmas, I first saw its effects today when I went into the center of town. Stalls have filled the tiny streets; each road has varying themes of light decorations and shops in competition with their neighbors for the best decorations.
According to the mayor's office, thousands of tourists visit the market during the month-long period, and I have no doubt about it. I have attended the 6:30 p.m. Mass in the Cathedral of Notre Dame every Sunday when in Strasbourg, and it has never been filled to more than half capacity. But tonight, there were people standing at the ends of the rows, and every seat was filled. I am sure that a significant amount of the new attendees were tourists who stopped in after their mulled wine, but the increase may also be due to the countdown to Christmas.
By French standards, Strasbourg is considered to have a fairly high religious population. I have found that is certainly true that there are large Jewish and Protestant populations: many museums in Alsace (the region) have rooms devoted to old Torahs and Jewish artifacts, and because of the German influence on the area there are Protestant churches throughout the city. And, as highlighted by a recent article in the New York Times, Islam is the second largest represented religion in Strasbourg. Additionally, the city prides itself for being the capital of Europe, as it houses the Council of Europe and the European Parliament.
Because of the emphasis placed on the city's diversity and international presence, I am surprised that the people come together, so willingly, behind the Christmas market. While I have yet to find any information about a Hanukkah Festival or Eid Celebration, even if they do exist, they are nowhere near as largely celebrated by the entire city. Strasbourg is an exception of a city: because the city was, in fact, German in 1905 when France passed the national law separating church and state, Alsace is exempt from the rule, meaning that religious bodies are recognized and supported by the state. As a result of the close relationship that local government has with the religious bodies of the area, I find it interesting that it has not deemed politically incorrect to hold city-wide festivals for the other major religious holidays celebrated by the people. Maybe the tradition of the Christmas market is more of the issue at hand. Perhaps it has served as a unifying activity for a city that has had issues with national identity for centuries. Or it might just be a time when everyone stops worrying, takes a stroll around the city, and enjoys the sounds of the saxophone-playing Santas.
According to the mayor's office, thousands of tourists visit the market during the month-long period, and I have no doubt about it. I have attended the 6:30 p.m. Mass in the Cathedral of Notre Dame every Sunday when in Strasbourg, and it has never been filled to more than half capacity. But tonight, there were people standing at the ends of the rows, and every seat was filled. I am sure that a significant amount of the new attendees were tourists who stopped in after their mulled wine, but the increase may also be due to the countdown to Christmas.
By French standards, Strasbourg is considered to have a fairly high religious population. I have found that is certainly true that there are large Jewish and Protestant populations: many museums in Alsace (the region) have rooms devoted to old Torahs and Jewish artifacts, and because of the German influence on the area there are Protestant churches throughout the city. And, as highlighted by a recent article in the New York Times, Islam is the second largest represented religion in Strasbourg. Additionally, the city prides itself for being the capital of Europe, as it houses the Council of Europe and the European Parliament.
Because of the emphasis placed on the city's diversity and international presence, I am surprised that the people come together, so willingly, behind the Christmas market. While I have yet to find any information about a Hanukkah Festival or Eid Celebration, even if they do exist, they are nowhere near as largely celebrated by the entire city. Strasbourg is an exception of a city: because the city was, in fact, German in 1905 when France passed the national law separating church and state, Alsace is exempt from the rule, meaning that religious bodies are recognized and supported by the state. As a result of the close relationship that local government has with the religious bodies of the area, I find it interesting that it has not deemed politically incorrect to hold city-wide festivals for the other major religious holidays celebrated by the people. Maybe the tradition of the Christmas market is more of the issue at hand. Perhaps it has served as a unifying activity for a city that has had issues with national identity for centuries. Or it might just be a time when everyone stops worrying, takes a stroll around the city, and enjoys the sounds of the saxophone-playing Santas.
About the Author
Opens in a new window