For the past five years, my daughter and I have planned an annual trip together—a tradition I cherish deeply. It’s precious time with my only child, and each journey has carved its own set of memories. We’ve wandered through Savannah and Charleston, explored Charlottesville and Boston, and ventured overseas to Brussels and Paris.
This year, our plan was to visit Germany for the Christmas markets and the rich history that surrounds them. But with her starting a new job, vacation time wasn’t an option. We’re hopeful for next December.
I lived in Europe for a time and had the chance to experience the Christmas markets firsthand. Back then, they were simpler—charming stalls with handmade gifts and plenty of wursts sizzling away. The elaborate culinary offerings you see today weren’t part of the scene. It was quieter, more rustic, and no less magical.
Today, German grocery stores like Aldi and Lidl offer an array of festive treats that were once only found in the Christmas markets or back in Germany itself. As a small consolation prize, I picked up a bottle of Glühwein, some sugar-and-cinnamon roasted nuts, and a box of lebkuchen.
Glühwein, if you’ve never tried it, is a sweet, full-bodied wine infused with spices and served warm. What made it so scrumptious—or at least that’s what my older brain insists, was the setting: cold air, fingers stiff from browsing stalls, and then that steaming cup of mulled wine. It warmed me from the inside out, and it simply tasted good. Back then they served it in a glass mug that you returned when you finished. Today each market has its own beautiful mug that serves as a reminder of the places you have been.
Lebkuchen if you have never tried it, is sort of a cross between a cake and a cookie. It is Germany's answer to gingerbread.
So, for now, I’ll sip my Glühwein on the porch, let the cinnamon linger, and dream of next December, when the markets will be waiting, and our suitcases will finally get to go. Oh yes and we will be joining them.
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