德国的圣诞市场是庆祝一年中最快乐的季节的比较好方式

德国的圣诞市场是庆祝一年中最快乐的季节的最好方式

Christmas celebrations take place around the world, but in Germany, Christmas markets fill dozens of cities with joy, laughter and the holiday spirit.

世界各地都在庆祝圣诞节，但在德国，圣诞市场充满了欢乐、欢笑和节日气氛。

Themed booths line the busy streets, and city squares are filled with crafts and foods matching the festive season.

主题摊位排列在繁忙的街道上，城市广场上摆满了与节日相匹配的工艺品和食品。

Rows of stalls make up the Munich Christmas Market in the Marienplatz, or city center. The beautiful New Town Hall, or Neues Rathaus, looms above it. (Photo: MNN)

Large markets pop up at the end of November in cities including Munich, Berlin, Nuremberg, Dresden, Frankfurt and Stuttgart. However, almost every town has its own market.

11月底，慕尼黑、柏林、纽伦堡、德累斯顿、法兰克福和斯图加特等城市就会出现大型市场。然而，几乎每个城镇都有自己的市场。

They are known as Christkindlmarkts, a concept that originated in Germany before spreading to other countries. They typically appear during the four weeks of Advent.

它们被称为圣诞市场，这个概念在传播到其他国家之前起源于德国。他们通常出现在降临节的四周里。

Now, cities like Dortmund and Cologne see nearly 4 million visitors during just a handful of weeks. Christkindlmarkts aren't just a staple of German communities; they're some of the largest tourist attractions in the world.

现在，像多特蒙德和科隆这样的城市在短短几周内就接待了近400万游客。圣诞集市不仅仅是德国社区的主要活动场所;它们是世界上最大的旅游景点之一。

View of the Marienplatz Christmas Market from St. Peter's Church. (Photo: MNN)

Food & drink

食物和饮料

It wouldn't be a Christmas festival in Germany without cases of decadent pastries, food stands offering delicious seasonal dishes and drink stalls with steaming mulled wine.

在德国，如果没有颓废的糕点、提供美味时令菜肴的小吃摊，以及配有热气腾腾的热红酒的饮料摊，就不会有圣诞节。

Bakeries are stacked with fresh bread and traditional cakes in the morning, and they also include seasonal selections of Stollen and Lángos.

早上，面包店里堆满了新鲜的面包和传统的蛋糕，也有斯托伦(Stollen)和兰戈斯(Langos)的季节性选择。

On the left you can see fresh Langos without toppings, and on the right is a stand full of stollen. (Photo: MNN)

You can't walk too far without finding fried confectionaries like Schmalzkuchen and Baumstriezel to warm you up.

你不可能走得太远而找不到像Schmalzkuchen和Baumstriezel这样的油炸糖果来使你暖和起来。

While Schmalzkuchen are like mini doughnut puffs covered in sugar, Baumstriezel (also called chimney cakes) are tall and hollowed out circular pieces of dough coated with cinnamon and sugar.

Schmalzkuchen就像裹着糖的小甜甜圈泡芙，而Baumstriezel(也被称为烟囱蛋糕)是又高又空的圆形面团，外面裹着肉桂和糖。

These cooks are making Baumstriezel, otherwise known as chimney cake. (Photo: MNN)

Other Christmas market favorites include Dampfnudel and Marzipan. The first is a fluffy piece of bread or dumpling covered in warm vanilla sauce or jam. Marzipan are circular sweet balls made of ground eggs, almonds, sugar and honey.

其他圣诞市场上最受欢迎的食品包括豆奶布丁和杏仁蛋白软糖。第一个是松软的面包或饺子，上面覆盖着温暖的香草酱或果酱。杏仁蛋白软糖是由碎鸡蛋、杏仁、糖和蜂蜜制成的圆形甜球。

Of course Germany doesn't forget to cover a variety of items in chocolate. Schaumkuss are marshmallows dunked in different flavors of chocolate and toppings. There are also many stands with chocolate-covered fruit skewers called Fruchtspieße.

当然，德国人也不会忘记用巧克力覆盖各种物品。棉花糖是浸在不同口味的巧克力和配料中的棉花糖。也有许多站在巧克力水果串称为Fruchtspieße。

A stand with chocolate-covered fruit or Fruchtspieße, in Munich. (Photo: MNN)

There are plenty of places to balance out your sweet tooth with more savory and hearty fare.

有很多地方可以让你用更美味更丰盛的食物来平衡你对甜食的喜好。

You can find a large variety of sausages or wursts to try, but the staples include Bratwurst, Weisswurst and Currywurst. A common lunchtime favorite is the meatloaf-like Leberkäse, which translates to "liver cheese," even though it doesn't contain liver or cheese.

你可以品尝到各式各样的香肠，但最常见的有腊肠、小香肠和咖喱香肠。午餐时最受欢迎的食物是肉糕状的Leberkase，意为“肝奶酪”，尽管它不含肝脏或奶酪。

Bratwurst, Weisswurst and other types of sausage in Munich. (Photo: MNN)

Leberkäse is like meatloaf sandwich. (Photo: MNN)

Other popular dishes include Reibekuchen (potato pancakes), Flammkuchen (mini pizzas), Kaesespaetzle (similar to mac n' cheese) and Schupfnudeln (finger-like potato noodles covered in bacon and sauerkraut).

其他受欢迎的菜肴包括Reibekuchen(马铃薯煎饼)、kuchen(迷你披萨)、Kaesespaetzle(类似于通心粉奶酪)和Schupfnudeln(手指状的马铃薯面条，上面覆盖着培根和德国泡菜)。

Of course, you can't go wrong with a fresh large pretzel or the hot flavored almonds called Gebrannte Mandeln.

当然，新鲜的大椒盐卷饼或味道浓烈的杏仁是绝对不会出错的。

Kaesespaetzle, or German cheese spaetzle, at a food stand in Munich. (Photo: MNN)

Most booths offer you a festive cup to drink from that you can keep or return to get a deposit back. This way it can be a souvenir or a perfect prop for a social media post. The best part? Less waste and no plastic!

大多数摊位会提供一个节日用的杯子，你可以留着或拿回来拿回押金。通过这种方式，它可以成为一个纪念品，也可以成为社交媒体帖子的完美道具。最好的部分?更少的浪费和没有塑料!

One of the many festive stands where you can get Gluhwein and beer. (Photo: MNN)

Entertainment & crafts

娱乐和工艺品

The city squares and surrounding streets are filled with the festive buzz and energy from the crowds of people making their way through.

城市广场和周围的街道充满了节日的喧闹声和人群的活力。

There will often be special dances going on, with residents in full costume and people singing their favorite Christmas songs in all kinds of languages.

通常会有特别的舞会，居民们穿着盛装，用各种语言唱着他们最喜欢的圣诞歌曲。

And if you're a Christmas tree lover, most markets come complete with some of the largest trees you'll ever see, decorated from top branch to stump with bows, lights and ornaments.

如果你是一个圣诞树爱好者，大多数市场都有一些你见过的最大的树，从顶部的树枝到树桩都用蝴蝶结、灯和装饰物装饰。

This is the towering Christmas tree in Munich's Marienplatz square. (Photo: MNN)

Mixed in with the food and beverage booths are homemade crafts created rom all different kinds of materials.

与食品和饮料摊位混合的是自制工艺品，由各种不同的材料制成。

There are stained glass creations, trains for collectors, every type of ornament possible, nativity scenes and almost anything you could dream of to decorate your home.

这里有彩绘玻璃作品、专为收藏家设计的火车、各种可能的装饰物、耶稣诞生的场景，以及几乎任何你能想到用来装饰你的家的东西。

Handcrafted wood carvings, snow globes and molded candle holders are popular as well. There's also a large variety of jewelry made from all types of local materials and stones.

手工木雕、雪花玻璃和烛台也很受欢迎。还有各种各样由当地各种材料和石头制成的珠宝。

Handmade snow globes at the Marienplatz market. (Photo: MNN)

Candleholders with molds of various Christmas scenes. (Photo: MNN)

Variations on the market theme

市场主题的变化

While there are staples you'll find in just about any market, some take on special themes to make their festivities stand out.

虽然你可以在任何市场上找到你需要的东西，但是有些人会选择一些特别的主题来突出他们的节日。

Tubingen celebrates the holiday season with a week-long chocolate festival. Munich opens up a special medieval market with different crafts and meats.

图宾根以为期一周的巧克力节来庆祝节日。慕尼黑开辟了一个特殊的中世纪市场，出售不同的工艺品和肉类。

Other countries have deep histories with Christmas markets as well.

其他国家也有着悠久的圣诞市场历史。

Cities like Salzburg and Vienna in Austria host huge Weihnachtsmarkts or December markets. (They also held some of the earliest holiday markets in recorded history.)

像奥地利的萨尔茨堡和维也纳这样的城市拥有巨大的12月市场。(他们还拥有一些有历史记载的最早的假日市场。)

This is a large Christmas market in Vienna, Austria. (Photo: MNN)

In addition, cities in France, Spain, England and Switzerland are well known for their memorable Christmas markets across Europe.

此外，法国、西班牙、英国和瑞士的城市也以其令人难忘的圣诞集市闻名于欧洲各地。

You can’t go wrong with venturing to a Christmas market in general, but heading to Germany may truly be worth your time and money.

一般来说，去圣诞市场是不会出错的，但去德国可能真的值得你花时间和金钱。

The United States inherited a lot of its Christmas tradition and spirit from Germany, and the kind people you'll meet along the way will make that Stollen or Glühwein taste that much better.

美国从德国那里继承了很多圣诞节的传统和精神，一路上你会遇到很多善良的人，他们会让你的圣诞大餐更加美味。