Frozen dream Vienna’s Christmas Markets are part of a tradition that has endured for centuries and they represent part of Viennese cul- ture for many people. At the time of writing this article, it is planned for the city’s festive markets to open in early De- cember. However, unfortunate- ly, everything still depends on the pandemic. Provided everything goes well, the biggest Christmas fair, dubbed “Vienna’s Christmas Dream”, will be organised on the square in front of the City Hall, as is the case each year. Every tree in the square and along Ringstrasse will be adorned with lights. The market covers the right side of the square’s park, while the left side is re- served for the “Little Ice Dream”, an ice-skating rink covering an area of 3,000 square metres. Since 1959, a spruce has tra- ditionally been installed on the square in front of the City Hall. This huge Christmas tree is gifted every year by a differ- ent Austrian province or neigh- bouring country. This year’s is a 33-metre-tall, 200-year-old spruce from the state of Up- per Austria. The tallest spruce placed in front of Vienna City Hall to date was the 1971 gift from the state of Styria that reached a height of 39.4 me- tres. The first Christmas tree to be erected publicly in Vien- na appeared in the city’s 18 th district in 1829. At midnight on Christmas Eve, on the night be- tween 24 th and 25 th December, a Christmas Mass is held and usually followed by a festive feast. The Christmas Eve wor- ship service is the most heavi- ly attended service of the year. Another Viennese tradition with roots dating back to the Middle Ages is the nativity play. These plays are usually held in church prior to the start of the Midnight Mass service.
U vremenu do Božića bečke ulice mirišu na medenjake, vruć punč, kuvano vino i pržene bademe / In the time leading up to Christmas, the streets of Vienna smell of gingerbread, hot fruit punch, mulled wine and roasted almonds
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