Christkindelsmärik, Strasbourg

Christkindelsmärik (Alsatian dialect meaning "Market of the Christ Child") is a

Christkindelsmärik
Christmas market held annually in Strasbourg, France on the Grande Île near Strasbourg
Cathedral and Place Kléber.[1][2] It draws in approximately 2 million visitors each year and
since the arrival of TGV service in Strasbourg in 2007, the number of visitors has been on
the rise. Hotels can be booked a year in advance and some receive between 15-17% of their
yearly income thanks to the Christkindelsmarik's visitors.[3] It is considered one of the most
famous Christmas markets throughout Europe. It is estimated that the city benefits of a 16
million Euros profit from this 38-day-long tradition. It is mostly famous for its fragrance of
mulled wine (French: vin chaud; German: Glühwein).[4]
The Strasbourg Christkindelsmärik
(Place Broglie)
Genre Christmas market
Contents Dates 24 November–24
History December
Planned bomb attack
Location(s) Strasbourg, France
Shooting attack
Years 1570–present
The tree
active
See also
Website Noel-Strasbourg.com
References
(http://www.noel-
External links
strasbourg.com/)

History
Strasbourg has been holding Christkindelsmärik around its cathedral since 1570, making it
one of the oldest Christmas markets in Europe.[1] The name "Christkindelsmärik" is of
Alsatian origin, a low Alemannic German dialect which was the mainly spoken language in
the Alsace until the 20th century. In many parts of south Germany and Austria christmas
markets (German: Weihnachtsmärkte) are also called Christkind(e)l(s)markt (the spelling
depends on the local dialect).
Depiction of the market in place
The market takes place annually, from 29 November to 31 December. It mainly takes place Kléber in 1859 by Émile Schweitzer

on Place Kléber, Place Broglie, Place du Marché aux cochons de lait and around the
cathedral.

Planned bomb attack

There was an Al-Qaeda plan to bomb the Christmas market at the foot of the cathedral during the Christmas celebrations of 2000. This
was discovered and foiled by authorities in December 2000.[5]

Shooting attack
On 11 December 2018, a shooting occurred at the Christmas market. The shooter, Cherif Chekatt, was injured during a shootout with
French soldiers during Opération Sentinelle near the scene and shot dead by police in Strasbourg on 13 December. The incident was
classified as terrorism by authorities, who identified the shooter as a known extremist who had been tagged with a fiche "S" (S file or
security file), the highest warning level for French state security.[6][7][8]

The tree
The Christkindelsmärik's Christmas tree, on Place Kléber, is traditionally of imposing height. Topping at 32.5 m (107 ft),[9] the 2010
tree dwarfed much of its surroundings. The trees of the following years were only slightly less conspicuous: 30 m (98 ft) in 2011,[10]
31 m (102 ft) in 2013,[11] 30 m (98 ft) in 2015.[12]

See also
 List of Christmas markets

References
1. Noël à Strasbourg. (Unknown last update). Noël à Strasbourg. Retrieved July 08, 2007,
from "Archived copy" (https://web.archive.org/web/20070817012032/http://www.noel-
strasbourg.com/). Archived from the original (http://www.noel-strasbourg.com/) on
2007-08-17. Retrieved 2007-07-19.
2. Noël à Strasbourg. (2007, May 31). Noël à Strasbourg, le Sens du Partage. Retrieved
July 19, 2007, from "Archived copy" (https://web.archive.org/web/20070727045223
/http://www.noel-strasbourg.com/pages_prov/FR.html). Archived from the original
(http://www.noel-strasbourg.com/pages_prov/FR.html) on 2007-07-27. Retrieved
2007-07-19.
3. Retrieved May 02, 2013, from "Archived copy" (https://web.archive.org
/web/20121128200450/http://videos.tf1.fr/jt-we/strasbourg-le-marche-de-noel-illumine-
la-ville-7686727.html). Archived from the original (http://videos.tf1.fr/jt-we/strasbourg-le-
marche-de-noel-illumine-la-ville-7686727.html/) on 2012-11-28. Retrieved 2013-05-03.
4. Retrieved May 02, 2013, from "Archived copy" (https://web.archive.org The 30 m (98 ft) 2014 Great
/web/20121209070324/http://videos.tf1.fr/jt-20h/marche-de-noel-de-strasbourg-le- Christmas Tree
jackpot-7713415.html). Archived from the original (http://videos.tf1.fr/jt-20h/marche-de-
noel-de-strasbourg-le-jackpot-7713415.html/) on 2012-12-09. Retrieved 2013-05-03.
5. Der Frankfurter Al-Qaida-Prozess und das Netzwerk des Terrors (http://www.swr.de
/report/archiv/sendungen/020415/03/02041503.rtf) (German)
6. Samuel, Henry; Chazan, David; Ward, Victoria (11 December 2018). "Strasbourg
shooting: At least four dead, several seriously injured in attack at Christmas market -
latest news" (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/12/11/latest-several-injured-shots-
fired-strasbourg-christmas-market/) – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
7. "Strasbourg Christmas market shooting: Gunman injures multiple people"
(https://www.news.com.au/world/europe/two-dead-and-at-least-11-injured-in-christmas-
market-shooting/news-story/02f85e377932d5807d8c774728a30102).
www.news.com.au.
8. Willsher, Kim (11 December 2018). "Strasbourg shooting: at least two killed in terrorist
attack near Christmas market" (http://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec
/11/strasbourg-shooting-in-eastern-france) – via www.theguardian.com.
9. Le grand sapin trône place Kléber (http://www.dna.fr/actualite/2010/11/08/le-grand-
sapin-trone-place-kleber), Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace, 8 November 2010 (in
French)
10. "Noël : le plus grand sapin d'Europe à Strasbourg" (http://www.tourmagazine.fr/Noel-le-
plus-grand-sapin-d-Europe-a-Strasbourg_a19275.html). tourmagazine.fr. Retrieved
4 November 2015.
11. "Strasbourg: un sapin de 31 mètres pour le marché de Noël" (http://www.lexpress.fr
/culture/strasbourg-un-sapin-de-31-metres-pour-le-marche-de-noel_1296974.html).
lexpress.fr. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
12. "Strasbourg: Du nouveau sur le grand sapin de Noël" (http://www.20minutes.fr
/strasbourg/1721739-20151102-strasbourg-nouveau-grand-sapin-noel). 20minutes.fr.
Retrieved 4 November 2015.

External links
Strasbourg, capitale de Noël (https://web.archive.org/web/20070817012032/http://www.noel-strasbourg.com/) (in French)
Christkindelsmärik, Strasbourg, on photo-alsace.com (http://www.photo-alsace.com/thematique/tourisme
/marche_noel_strasbourg.php) (captions in French)

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This page was last edited on 14 December 2018, at 19:29 (UTC).

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