One of the most breathtaking and wonderful times in Strasbourg is Christmas time.  The whole village lights up… literally, and it feels like Santa is hiding around every corner.  Something I love and hate about Europe is the apparent lack of political correctness.  I walked around town all throughout the month of December and was probably one of the only people wondering if I was going to see some Joyeux Hanukkah! lights.

This is my first post, but I just can’t help skipping right through introductions and into the good stuff.  Christmas is such an amazing time in Strasbourg that I wanted to write about it while it was still fresh on my mind.  For a bit of background, let me just say I am a junior chemical engineering major, studying for the year in this quaint city nestled in eastern France.  But enough about me, back to the good stuff.

Maybe it’s because European Christmas traditions find their roots buried in centuries of history, but no one here really seems to mind that Christmas takes precedence over all other winter holidays.  After about five minutes of walking around this postcard of a city, I was starting to forget why I was upset in the first place.  For me, the best part is the lighting.  When daylight savings time came, the sun started setting nightly at about 5:30, and for some reason, this just made all my days feel about six hours shorter.  But then, the weekend after Thanksgiving, Strasbourg lit up.  Every street was covered in strings of lights: large bulbs, small ones, lights on trees and traffic lights, lights over every store, white lights and multicolored lights.

After that there are traditions upon tradition.  Christmas markets date back to the 14^th century, and the one here in Stras is over 400 years old, and it even has its own website!  Stalls are set up in little bundles all throughout town, their wares ranging from food to ornaments to linens and lace.   The food is, simply put, heavenly.  Stands bursting with baguettes loaded with cheese and bacon, tomatoes and butter, rainbow lollipops and chewy candy strings fill others.  Men and women in aprons ladle out spoonfuls of batter into waffle makers and on round hot plates, spreading it into perfect circles with wooden spatulas.  The drink of choice is vin chaud, glüwein: hot wine; wine that has been cooked to perfection, with oranges, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, and it is pleasant to sip as you peruse the other stalls.  Other than the food and drink, the rest of the stands are filled with works of art, from home painted ornaments to artisan soaps.

The Christmas spirit overflows from every aspect of town, and I caught myself grinning from ear to ear, walking home every day from school.  I was a bit reluctant come back to the States after being a part of such festivities, but being away from home for seven months has some strange effects on you.  So, shortly after the city lit up, I was hopping on a plane to get back to barbecue and a warm, Texas Christmas.