WE Filipinos are proud of the fact that we have the longest Christmas season in the entire world.
As soon as September rolls in, Christmas carols start playing in the malls, and department stores begin putting on display Christmas trees, ornaments and other décor needed to spruce up one’s home or office for the holiday season.
Soon after, major thoroughfares are adorned with colored lights, and major Christmas-themed lighting and mechanical installations are running across every city, delighting the young and old alike. All these go on until the first Sunday of January, or the Catholic Feast of Epiphany.
That isn’t to say that Christmas isn’t as big a holiday abroad as it is in these parts. In Central Europe, which I visited just recently, Christmas is such a huge deal that despite the freezing winter temperature, tourists from all over the world gather in Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic to visit holiday markets and patronize each country’s yuletide offerings.
We even bumped into a few Pinoys in, of all places, Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia as they milled in the Christmas market, checking out the food delicacies and handicrafts being sold. (Mr. Gunay said he works in an information-technology company, though he wouldn’t say where. But we did notice a huge Amazon sign on top of a building, which means the city is home to quite a number of tech multinationals.)
The city’s Christmas market at the main square is not as huge as the others found in her neighbors, but the traditional Christmas food and drinks, such as mulled wine, were quite excellent. The best part about visiting Slovakia, though, is going up to Hrebienok, a ski center in the southern slope of the Slavkovsy Peak in the High Tatras—a mountain range at the border the country shares with Poland.
With our old, ahem, colonial vision of Christmas of chestnuts roasting on the open fire, snowball fights and making snow angels, this veritable winter wonderland certainly reinforced our holiday cheer.
It was minus 13 degrees centigrade and everything was blanketed with powder-white snow crystals that felt like Milky Way’s fine ice shavings for its halo-halo. My boots sank in the knee-deep snow, and I was totally bundled up in layers upon layers of thermal underwear, a fleece sweater and two coats (puffy down and wool), but I was happy as a kid, enjoying my first brush with snow.
Budapest also attracts quite a number of Filipinos this time of the year. (I no longer wonder why buyers of winter clothing recently besieged our local Uniqlo stores.) At our hotel during breakfast, I espied groups of Pinoy seniors traveling together.
The capital of Hungary hosts a main Christmas market on Vorosmarty Square, as well as a Christmas Fair across the Saint Stephen’s Basilica. While the one in Vorosmarty Square is larger and offers more variety of products, the Basilica Fair sells unique items, such as colorful porcelain angels and stuffed animals in the old raggedy-ann mold reminiscent of the 1970s. (I missed out on buying both, as I was told these would be much cheaper in Prague. In fact, I didn’t see these anywhere except in Budapest. Tsk, tsk.)
Krakow in Poland also has a significant Christmas market at the main market square, which is surrounded by rows of retailers, bars and restaurants. With the scent of grilling sausages and warm pretzels wafting in the air, it was a delight to go through the wooden stalls overflowing with unique goods, such as handmade table runners, placemats, centerpieces and ceramic tiles painted with various Polish scenes and religious icons.
In the capital of Warsaw, meanwhile, a visit to The Royal Garden of Light at the Wilanów Palace is a must. A thriving garden lush with greenery during springtime, in winter this heritage site once owned by King John Sobieski III is festooned with colorful and sophisticated light installations that evoke spirit of the season.
Prague in the Czech Republic hosts the largest and the most crowded among the region’s Christmas markets. (Think Divisoria in December, then multiply that by 50.) Located at the city’s Old Town Square, this Christmas market is constantly judged the best in Europe.
In the center of the square stands a colossal spruce tree, adorned with blazing lights and ornaments, as well as a stage where some concerts are performed. Around the square are stalls with hams roasting on open pits, Trdelník (spit cake made from rolled dough) baking, Prague beers recognized among the most excellent in the world, as well as delicate arts and crafts.
For Pinoys looking for bargains, Christmas in Prague also means 50- to 70-percent off shopping at many popular clothing and footwear brands along Wenceslav Square. Fashion Arena, an outlet mall less than 30 minutes from the city center, also offers discount shopping everyday, making it a prime destination for tourists.
All these Christmas markets are ongoing until the first week of January. So in case you still haven’t made plans for the New Year, a visit to chilly Central Europe could be a unique holiday option for family and friends.
- Turkish Airlines has daily flights to Istanbul, connecting to Budapest and Prague.
Image credits: Stella Arnaldo