If you've been to a Christmas Market, what did you buy?

[holymolyguacamoles]

I find they are mostly food and drink stalls which is fine if you want a walk around and something to eat / drink, but not really much if anything else actually worth buying.

If you've been to any, what did you buy?

OP did they have no Christmassy gifts for sale at all, only food& drink??

Going to first one tomorrow thought I’d get loads of unusual handmade bits and pieces 😞

They did have some bits and bobs but very much mostly food and drink.

We used to go to Edinburgh Christmas markets but we found there was only really a handful of stalls they were just repeated several times over.

@santasmuma

We used to go to Edinburgh Christmas markets but we found there was only really a handful of stalls they were just repeated several times over.

Edinburgh has got worse.

It's great if you want a German sausage, oversized pretzel, weird knitted hat or bizarre Christmas tree tat, isn't it?

Best avoided.

Sometimes you get some nice handmade / ethnically produced gifts or ornaments but they're often the same things in every market you visit (ie not sold by the maker, which I would prefer). One thing we did buy at one somewhere - London Southbank I think, a few years back - was a glass bauble which we actually witnessed being blown. That felt quite special. I also have a few wooden carved / cut out ornaments, mass produced but quite authentic seeming.

Mulled wine.

My DD has returned from the German Market in Birmingham tonight.
She has shown me some nice looking chocs and macaroons, a couple of carved tree decorations, a very soft knitted mitten and headband/ear warmer set and some mugs. I think a few bits have been whisked out of sight ready for me on Christmas Day.
Seemingly she had a great time, quite a few musicians around and lots of Baileys hot choc.

The world's most expensive Turkish delight.

Never again.

They seem to be the same things repeated over and over. I was hoping for lots of interesting hand made things and that was not the case.

I was thinking about going to one near me and found a walk through video from a few years ago. I was hoping for interesting Christmas decorations for sale. All it had was food stalls and some free game and craft stations for children. I can see how it could be a nice outing, but it was nothing like the markets I had heard about and was hoping for.

Cheese and chutney
A snowglobe
Luxury marshmallows
Brownies
A necklaces and a pair of earrings
2 Christmas ornaments
2 sets of Russian dolls

Off the top of my head

This was Chatsworth Christmas market. The best I’ve been to in the U.K. I highly recommend

We haven’t seen many of the food and drink stalls surprisingly. We bought some really kitschy iron on patches and pin badges, a handmade wooden stool, some reclaimed glass bottles and ceramic jars, some beautiful laser cut wooden flowers and some hand made felt Christmas decorations.

We’ve been really fortunate to find some interesting stalls this year.

The bham ones have a lot of repetition year on year, we tend to just buy food and mulled wine now
Heading to Worcester today, they have more local crafty stalls, which I prefer

Nothing I'm not rich enough to buy from them but like to look round. There is definitely more food than anything else though.

I go for the mulled wine, food and usually try and buy one or two new Christmas tree decorations each year

Churros, hot chocolate, expensive but extremely delicious chips. Some biscuits, nuts and fancy marshmallows to take away.

They did have beautiful Christmas decorations, handknits, kitchen gadgetry, jewellery, assorted gourmet food and random bits of weirdness.

Wouldn’t go to one in order to buy Christmas presents. Very much enjoy walking round one to look at all the lovely Christmassy things (and eat the churros)

Had a happy time at one a couple of weeks ago - my first in the UK. (I loved the ones in Germany when I lived there years ago.)

We bought some tree decorations, nice candles, fudge, soaps, a necklace. And enjoyed lots of the food.

I have a few people in my family who absolutely love the kind of stuff they sell at those markets, so it was useful for our present shopping and a nice day out with DD.

After sampling lots of different alcohols I ended up buying…
Toffee vodka
A handmade felt Christmas decoration
A picture for my good friend
A candle in a tin
More toffee vodka & some fudge for the train ride home

We went more for a girls day out shopping and lunching not specifically for the market.

I went to Waddesden and bought some Caramel Rum (delicious) and a necklace. My friend bought a pair of earrings. I don’t go to Christmas Markets for the shopping so much as for the atmosphere, Gluwein and a day out. If you really want to shop then I recommend Spirit of Christmas at Olympia in November. Take a suitcase and buy all your presents and decorations in one go.

A few bits of tat that no one would really want as a Christmas gift but I got swept up in the moment.

And some overpriced drinks and food

They are all different, so you have to see what is there.

We have some excellent markets near us, with lovely food products that can go into hampers etc., I like being able to buy direct from suppliers.

I've been to Cardiff, bought nothing and Bristol bought a compass/sundial made from old brass. It's a bit steam punk .

Haven't had much luck in the UK - although haven't been to any of the really big ones - but have loved them in Europe. Having said that, to me, a Christmas market isn't about buying gifts but rather is all about Christmas itself so christmas food and drink (to eat on the day or take home), christmas decorations etc. I have bought beautiful beautiful glass baubles and decorations in Europe in particular and need to go back as sadly, many years later (and 2 kids, 2 cats and a dog later), many are broken.

I have bought the odd gift at markets at Christmas time, but they weren't advertised as "Christmas" markets so much but rather something like, "gift markets" - things like handmade candles/soap, glassware, scarves etc.