It might be said that the natural habitat of holiday cheer is the outdoor Christmas market. There are about 2,500 scattered across Germany in the month of December, where locals gather to shop, gawk and carouse. Most German cities and towns have a central market square where stalls, a stage and plentiful holiday decorations are set up in the weeks before Christmas. Large cities have multiple Christmas markets that cater to different audiences, like the one at Berlin's Alexanderplatz, above. (Cameron Abadi/GlobalPost)
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In addition to being a holiday tradition, the Christmas markets are a big business. Experts estimate that the markets bring in anywhere from 3 billion to 5 billion euros per year. The markets were traditionally organized and operated by local governments. Now, operations are often contracted out to large companies that specialize in event management. (Cameron Abadi/GlobalPost)
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It's still possible to find local, handmade Christmas kitsch at the Christmas markets, like these angels at Alexanderplatz. (Cameron Abadi/GlobalPost)
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But most sales are dominated by large companies like Kaethe Wohlfahrt, which sells German-made Christmas decorations in several dozen markets across Germany, including at Alexanderplatz. (Cameron Abadi/GlobalPost)
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Even the large German manufacturers, though, are facing increased competition. Chinese-made nutcrackers, which carry a much smaller price tag than German products, have been selling briskly in recent years. Here is a three-foot-tall display nutcracker of undetermined origins. (Cameron Abadi/GlobalPost)
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In Berlin, the arrival of the Christmas markets utterly transforms certain sections of the city. The effect is not always harmonious. Berlin's Alexanderplatz is a slightly seedy, wind-swept square that bears the architectural legacy of communist East Berlin, surrounded as it is by tall, anonymous modernist buildings that today serve as shopping malls and hotels. But the operators of the Alexanderplatz Christmas market didn't spend much time considering the urban context. They simply did their best to transform the place into a replica Alpine village. (Cameron Abadi/GlobalPost)
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The Christmas market at Berlin's Gendarmenmarkt — between an opera house and two 18th-century cathedrals — more naturally lends itself to a traditional yuletide atmosphere. (Cameron Abadi/GlobalPost)
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But you need to pay 1 euro for the privilege of entering the market — something that's unheard of at the thousands of other Christmas markets across Germany. The operators of the Gendarmenmarkt market reasoned that a cover charge was the only way to maintain a high-toned atmosphere. The guards, dressed here like Prussian soldiers, won't let you enter the Gendarmenmarkt without a ticket. (Cameron Abadi/GlobalPost)
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Those who do purchase a ticket are treated to a theater performance, in addition to the Christmas market standards. At the beginning of the show, a nobleman and his wife are introduced to the crowd. (Cameron Abadi/GlobalPost)
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By the end of the show, the aristocrat is in drag. He eventually convinces someone from the audience to join him on stage. Goaded by the audience, they strip layers of clothing until they're both bare-chested. Other than that, it's a family show. (Cameron Abadi/GlobalPost)
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To combat the cold, Germans turn to their favorite Christmas drink, gluehwein — warm, mulled wine. It's easy enough to make from a batch of red wine, together with sugar, fruit and spices. But about 80 percent of the gluehwein sold at Christmas markets is produced by one German manufacturer. (Cameron Abadi/GlobalPost)
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Most attendees of the Christmas markets, like these at the Gendarmenmarkt, indulge in more than one glass of hot wine. (Cameron Abadi/GlobalPost)
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Indeed, fighting off frostbite with a gluehwein and a bratwurst is part of the Christmas market tradition. But, for those unwilling to brave the weather, the Gendarmenmarkt provides an alternative. Patrons can order gourmet food and un-mulled wine at one of several dining tents at the market place. Alas, seats are available by reservation only. (Cameron Abadi/GlobalPost)
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The average visitor to a Christmas market spends 20 to 30 euros, experts say. But it's unclear how much of that money ends up with the people who work at the Christmas market stands. Nearly 200,000 Germans work at Christmas markets during the holiday season. The hours are long and the conditions uncomfortable. Without a minimum wage law, the employees sometimes earn only a few euros per hour. (Cameron Abadi/GlobalPost)
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Berlin is also home to a host of alternative Christmas markets that appeal to people otherwise turned off by the commercialism of the holiday season. The squatters who live in Schokoladen — a building in the center of Berlin, just one block from the home of the current foreign minister — organize a punk-inspired market in their courtyard. (Cameron Abadi/GlobalPost)
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Schokoladen eschews not only the large companies at the other Christmas markets, but also traditional decorations. Young people sell their handmade wares around an open-air campfire in the center of the courtyard. (Cameron Abadi/GlobalPost)
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Entertainment at Schokoladen is provided by local rock acts. (Cameron Abadi/GlobalPost)
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An alternative Christmas market demands alternative products. Patrons of this booth had the choice between holiday salsa and traditional vegan cupcakes. (Cameron Abadi/GlobalPost)
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Of course, even a punk Christmas market wouldn't be complete without a gluehwein booth. (Cameron Abadi/GlobalPost)
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