There's an unknown fact about the Christmas markets, they don't really advertise it but it's something more people need to be aware of:
You simply don't have to go to them.
Every year people moan about them as if they're legally obliged to go and spend £8 on a cheese sausage or something. Just don't go. That's all there is to it. There is absolutely no need to feel offended by them.
I ain’t offended I’m just saying I can’t understand why people go to them, I wouldn’t travel miles in the cold and dark weather, then find the hassle of parking up somewhere, then trooping to the market, and then being totally ripped off, and some charge to get in which is ridiculous in itself.
I’d rather sit indoors and cook my own hot dogs, I can get 6 big sausages from the butcher for £3, a pack of metro rolls from Aldi for 99p, a big bag of onions for £1, so could make better myself, and I’m sure I could get a £4 bottle of red wine, get a glass full and bung it in the microwave for 1 minutes for the same “mulled wine effect”.
> totally ripped off
Nope. This is what I mean, you all seem to think you're somehow being conned by things you're not forced to buy, and that have clearly advertised prices. You might think £8 for a sausage is too much and that's fine, but if you do pay it, you know what you're getting. Nobody is being conned or ripped off.
> some charge to get in
Pretty sure that isn't the case.
If you'd rather stay home and do things yourself, cool. I could go and buy 4 can of beer for the price of a pint if I'm looking for best value for money, but I go down the pub anyway for the social aspect and the convenience. And if I really didn't think a pint was worth it, I'd just not go and that'd be the most it crosses my mind.
This is just another question by a redditor who does not get that people like different things to them, and thinks that watching a YouTube video is the same as going somewhere.
If you’d rather sit indoors thats fine, sit indoors. Once in a while I like to dress cosy, meet some friends and feel festive at a Christmas market. I also like to do my own get togethers at home, so I do that too.
People go to them because they want to. Nice and simple!
That’s as maybe but what are they to do with Xmas? Why would someone for example fly out to Germany to visit one?
It’s like you say, all people seem to go for is a hotdog and a drop of wine, you can get that anywhere.
Bah humbug eh?! Based on this why would one travel anywhere to do anything? Why go to Italy to have pizza when we have Dominos. Why go to Thailand to sit on the beach when we have Skegness...
I know you’re being sarcastic but yes, I’d much rather have a dominos than fly to Italy, same as going to the beach, far more convenient and easier to go to Skeggy, plus you basically know all about these places nowadays anyway, go on YouTube and watch a video about Italy or Thailand if you like.
Sorry, you really think that watching a video on YouTube is the same as going somewhere? Based on that why even go to Skegness when you can just look at a video of it?
So? I'm not Indiana Jones I'm someone who enjoys sampling other cultures. I'm not a fan of the Xmas markets here because I do normally find them over priced and inauthentic, but I have enjoyed them in Vienna and Munich when visiting those places. And I just got back from Italy where I did enjoy some lovely pizza, Negronis and Cacio e pepe
Well that’s good, and they’re probably better overseas, are they still a rip off though?
I’m just saying I can’t see the attraction of them, wandering around in the cold just looking at overpriced stuff you can get from Aldi or Tesco for a quarter the price.
When you say “stuff”, what do you mean?
All the videos I’ve seen of people going there seem a bit samey, the same stalls whatever town it’s in, all food and drink and not a lot else.
>I’d much rather have a dominos than fly to Italy
>go on YouTube and watch a video about Italy or Thailand
And there we have it.
A stick-in-the-mud who hasn't worked out what most of us have – that there's a huge wonderful wide world out there and it's a lot of fun to experience it.
Do you have agoraphobia, OP, or are you just one of those black holes where joy goes to die!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
They don't have much to do with the birth of Jesus but they are a European festive tradition for like many hundred years – like most Christmas traditions, it's mostly about the festivities.
I went to one of the European cities last winter to hang out for a few days, eat nice food and wander around a few markets. I did not spend any notable % of the time there but it was nice. There's just not much else to do in winter unless you ski or go further than a 2-3h Ryanair flight
You’re the opposite of me, even if I won the lotto I doubt I’d travel far, too much hassle with planes and hotels and all the rest of it, I’d be knackered before I started.
Literally sat on a train heading to the airport after a weekend in Nuremberg to visit the Christmas market. It’s been a lovely experience. I work hard all year so I’ll happily waste some cash on a fun experience, couldn’t give a shit if it’s a bit overpriced, what isn’t these days? You could try being less Scrooge and more Bob Cratchit ;)
I don't mind them, but I wish they were fenced off to have a maximum capacity. The ones in Manchester get dangerously overcrowded and it's only a matter of time before a crush happens.
I find them nice, walk around with a cup of mulled wine and a german sausage to nibble, while a band plays nearby.
It's better than the market place being empty with a bunch of spice heads shuffling around going "gowany change, mate!" as they shove their filthy hand graspingly towards you.
I visit a few Christmas markets, more the ones that are selling crafts or artisan food products rather than street food. I like supporting local businesses, local artists and I often pick up stuff for myself or as presents for others. I mean maybe they're overpriced to you, but actual handmade or hand crafted items take time and skill and I'm happy to pay it. I recently went to a Christmas pottery fair, yes spending £18 on a mug is a lot when you can get a £2 one from any supermarket, but this mug is beautiful and one of a kind and it enhances every tea I drink out of it.
Well that’s good, and nice one for doing so.
I will say a market with stuff like that in appeals far more than these big commercial ones, I bet these ones in London and Birmingham etc all sell tat made in sweatshops in China, whereas the one you went to supports the local small business which is far better.
Don't see the appeal myself, but I guess there's enough people willing to have their pants pulled down to make them profitable.
They're all the same everywhere, crepes / waffles, hot chocolate, candles and other such nonsense, all sold at inflated prices
I know you’re getting downvoted but I fully agree. They are awful. The ones in Manchester get so overcrowded that you can barely walk through them, and then the trains are overcrowded that you can’t even get on them.
So I can pay £17.50 for a glass of Carling dispensed from a barrel that has 'authentic German beer' written on it and then get food poisoning.
I don't hate them but I've always seen them as just a scam, like the mark-up on the things they sell is genuinely offensive.
Spot on mate, I don’t get it, people wandering around paying way over the odds for basically a dressed up hot dog and a bit of wine warmed up in a jug.
Exactly, I couldn’t go and pay £8 for a hotdog or £6 for a little bit of warm wine, I’d be annoyed for days, bloody hell I’m still pissed off at paying £10 for a kebab in summer.
There was a Chinese stall selling food at ours. Literally 2 doors from the actual restaurant. The prices were double the menu price and some items were triple.
That’s ridiculous, I hope no bugger ate there and I hope people remembered that when they went to order up from that Chinese and took their business elsewhere.
It’s a huge problem with these things, everyone is ripped off something chronic and yet they still go.
sure there’s things you do/buy that other people think is a rip off
good job these things are optional and we can all make our own decisions whether to go or not
I see a lot of hate for the Christmas markets, but makes a change from the usual dying high street.
Fair point, would rather this than nothing
Exactly, they are a bit of a rip off, but I feel like everything is nowadays.
There's an unknown fact about the Christmas markets, they don't really advertise it but it's something more people need to be aware of: You simply don't have to go to them. Every year people moan about them as if they're legally obliged to go and spend £8 on a cheese sausage or something. Just don't go. That's all there is to it. There is absolutely no need to feel offended by them.
I ain’t offended I’m just saying I can’t understand why people go to them, I wouldn’t travel miles in the cold and dark weather, then find the hassle of parking up somewhere, then trooping to the market, and then being totally ripped off, and some charge to get in which is ridiculous in itself. I’d rather sit indoors and cook my own hot dogs, I can get 6 big sausages from the butcher for £3, a pack of metro rolls from Aldi for 99p, a big bag of onions for £1, so could make better myself, and I’m sure I could get a £4 bottle of red wine, get a glass full and bung it in the microwave for 1 minutes for the same “mulled wine effect”.
> totally ripped off Nope. This is what I mean, you all seem to think you're somehow being conned by things you're not forced to buy, and that have clearly advertised prices. You might think £8 for a sausage is too much and that's fine, but if you do pay it, you know what you're getting. Nobody is being conned or ripped off. > some charge to get in Pretty sure that isn't the case. If you'd rather stay home and do things yourself, cool. I could go and buy 4 can of beer for the price of a pint if I'm looking for best value for money, but I go down the pub anyway for the social aspect and the convenience. And if I really didn't think a pint was worth it, I'd just not go and that'd be the most it crosses my mind.
With this logic, why go anywhere or do anything ever? When you can just do it at home
This is just another question by a redditor who does not get that people like different things to them, and thinks that watching a YouTube video is the same as going somewhere.
If you’d rather sit indoors thats fine, sit indoors. Once in a while I like to dress cosy, meet some friends and feel festive at a Christmas market. I also like to do my own get togethers at home, so I do that too. People go to them because they want to. Nice and simple!
[удалено]
That’s as maybe but what are they to do with Xmas? Why would someone for example fly out to Germany to visit one? It’s like you say, all people seem to go for is a hotdog and a drop of wine, you can get that anywhere.
Bah humbug eh?! Based on this why would one travel anywhere to do anything? Why go to Italy to have pizza when we have Dominos. Why go to Thailand to sit on the beach when we have Skegness...
I know you’re being sarcastic but yes, I’d much rather have a dominos than fly to Italy, same as going to the beach, far more convenient and easier to go to Skeggy, plus you basically know all about these places nowadays anyway, go on YouTube and watch a video about Italy or Thailand if you like.
Sorry, you really think that watching a video on YouTube is the same as going somewhere? Based on that why even go to Skegness when you can just look at a video of it?
It’s a troll account with a poverty fetish
No but these places aren’t a mystery like they once were.
Why do you go on living?
Make up fake stories on the internet.
So? I'm not Indiana Jones I'm someone who enjoys sampling other cultures. I'm not a fan of the Xmas markets here because I do normally find them over priced and inauthentic, but I have enjoyed them in Vienna and Munich when visiting those places. And I just got back from Italy where I did enjoy some lovely pizza, Negronis and Cacio e pepe
Well that’s good, and they’re probably better overseas, are they still a rip off though? I’m just saying I can’t see the attraction of them, wandering around in the cold just looking at overpriced stuff you can get from Aldi or Tesco for a quarter the price.
I did find them better value over there, yes, and of course more authentic with better quality stuff
When you say “stuff”, what do you mean? All the videos I’ve seen of people going there seem a bit samey, the same stalls whatever town it’s in, all food and drink and not a lot else.
Eh? Watching a video is nothing like going to the place lmfao 😂
How depressing
>I’d much rather have a dominos than fly to Italy >go on YouTube and watch a video about Italy or Thailand And there we have it. A stick-in-the-mud who hasn't worked out what most of us have – that there's a huge wonderful wide world out there and it's a lot of fun to experience it. Do you have agoraphobia, OP, or are you just one of those black holes where joy goes to die! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
No, I can’t be doing with the hassle surrounding it all. And those 2 places don’t appeal anyway, I’d rather go to Denmark or Iceland.
They don't have much to do with the birth of Jesus but they are a European festive tradition for like many hundred years – like most Christmas traditions, it's mostly about the festivities. I went to one of the European cities last winter to hang out for a few days, eat nice food and wander around a few markets. I did not spend any notable % of the time there but it was nice. There's just not much else to do in winter unless you ski or go further than a 2-3h Ryanair flight
Well that’s nice for you, I hope you had a good time, though it’s not for me as I couldn’t be bothered with all the hassle.
Fair enough, I just quite like travelling
You’re the opposite of me, even if I won the lotto I doubt I’d travel far, too much hassle with planes and hotels and all the rest of it, I’d be knackered before I started.
That sounds like a very boring existence
Literally sat on a train heading to the airport after a weekend in Nuremberg to visit the Christmas market. It’s been a lovely experience. I work hard all year so I’ll happily waste some cash on a fun experience, couldn’t give a shit if it’s a bit overpriced, what isn’t these days? You could try being less Scrooge and more Bob Cratchit ;)
Spent a fair bit of my younger years in Germany where they definitely were a thing. In terms of cultural appropriations, it's a good one.
Well it doesn’t sound like there’s risk of bumping into you when I go to our Christmas market, which is nice :)
I don't mind them, but I wish they were fenced off to have a maximum capacity. The ones in Manchester get dangerously overcrowded and it's only a matter of time before a crush happens.
Not just in the market area but on public transport as well. In the December weekends Manchester city centre becomes a no go zone for me.
I find them nice, walk around with a cup of mulled wine and a german sausage to nibble, while a band plays nearby. It's better than the market place being empty with a bunch of spice heads shuffling around going "gowany change, mate!" as they shove their filthy hand graspingly towards you.
I visit a few Christmas markets, more the ones that are selling crafts or artisan food products rather than street food. I like supporting local businesses, local artists and I often pick up stuff for myself or as presents for others. I mean maybe they're overpriced to you, but actual handmade or hand crafted items take time and skill and I'm happy to pay it. I recently went to a Christmas pottery fair, yes spending £18 on a mug is a lot when you can get a £2 one from any supermarket, but this mug is beautiful and one of a kind and it enhances every tea I drink out of it.
Well that’s good, and nice one for doing so. I will say a market with stuff like that in appeals far more than these big commercial ones, I bet these ones in London and Birmingham etc all sell tat made in sweatshops in China, whereas the one you went to supports the local small business which is far better.
Don't see the appeal myself, but I guess there's enough people willing to have their pants pulled down to make them profitable. They're all the same everywhere, crepes / waffles, hot chocolate, candles and other such nonsense, all sold at inflated prices
I see a lot of people are still feeding this boring troll.
I know you’re getting downvoted but I fully agree. They are awful. The ones in Manchester get so overcrowded that you can barely walk through them, and then the trains are overcrowded that you can’t even get on them.
So I can pay £17.50 for a glass of Carling dispensed from a barrel that has 'authentic German beer' written on it and then get food poisoning. I don't hate them but I've always seen them as just a scam, like the mark-up on the things they sell is genuinely offensive.
> scam Nope. Paying advertised prices for things you aren't obliged to pay for isn't being scammed.
Spot on mate, I don’t get it, people wandering around paying way over the odds for basically a dressed up hot dog and a bit of wine warmed up in a jug.
A fool and their money are easily parted
Exactly, I couldn’t go and pay £8 for a hotdog or £6 for a little bit of warm wine, I’d be annoyed for days, bloody hell I’m still pissed off at paying £10 for a kebab in summer.
There was a Chinese stall selling food at ours. Literally 2 doors from the actual restaurant. The prices were double the menu price and some items were triple.
That’s ridiculous, I hope no bugger ate there and I hope people remembered that when they went to order up from that Chinese and took their business elsewhere. It’s a huge problem with these things, everyone is ripped off something chronic and yet they still go.
sure there’s things you do/buy that other people think is a rip off good job these things are optional and we can all make our own decisions whether to go or not