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?

[SpiderinaWingMirror]

Waddesdon Manor.
Between us we got
Scarves
Rum
Silver jewelry
Decorations
Chtutney/jam

[sjxoxo]

Nothing; but I won the tombola by guessing the weight of the hamper so I got a bargain for my €2 ticket!!!! Bloody great as I never win anything. I agree they mostly sell tat! Xo

[TheChosenTwo]

Took a stroll past Kingston market today, Turkish delight, crystals, celebrity posters, typical food and drink to buy and consume, those massive marshmallows covered in chocolate, cheese stall, Christmas decorations, can’t think of a single thing I saw that stood out!
We didn’t go for that but I was looking to see what was there as we walked past.
Load of market tat basically
But then I’m not a market shopper and avoid Christmas markets like the plague, they’re not for me so I don’t really know what people go there for! It wasn’t very busy but it was drizzly.

[Riverlee]

Pre covid - went to the south bank one several times. Mostly too crowded for my liking. However, still have the wooden moose key ring from a German (?) wood carving product stall.

[Riverlee]

Went to a local village fare yesterday, mainly to soak up the atmosphere (and mulled wine). The stalls were mainly run by local charities - scouts, pts, charities, plus farm market stalls - sausages, chutneys etc. Didn’t buy any gifts but enjoyed looking at the stalls, hearing the carols in the church and the general Christmas atmosphere.

[Titterofwit]

Went to our local one last weekend in the snow .Thought it woud be lovely and atmospheric.
As others have said there was mostly food and drink but there were a few stalls selling crafts.
What did affect me most was the sight of armed police wandering round as if an attack was imminent. Very unsettling.
I know they are there as a preventative measure . Maybe they were also out in other xmas markets but I havent been to any other towns but i felt very unchristamassy indeed.

[Eggmcmuffin]

Went to the Cardiff one today and I thought there was a good selection of things, no repeats. I bought a bird box and Welsh cake kit

[WorkBitch]

Scarves
Formal Hat (for FIL)
Selection of Christmas cakes for MIL
Salt & pepper pots
Decorations
There’s usually a beautiful glassware stall near us but I haven’t seen it this year

It is mostly food/drink stalls now which is a massive shame.

[VestaTilley]

I don’t bother - I’ve never seen the appeal; everything is overhyped and pricey- you can get far nicer decorations for the same money in Fortnum and Mason.

They’re about as authentic as spaghetti bolognaise is to Italian cuisine. I’d go to a proper German one in Nuremberg or similar, but the ones local to us are just selling scarves and hats etc that I could buy on the High Street.

[PeanuttyButter]

@MrsBerthaRochester was at the Glasgow one today. Not a huge number of stalls in total but good atmosphere and some stalls were taking cash

[Travis1]

We went to st Enoch today and I bought a lovely blue/black wax burner, gorgeous soft scarf. MIL bought some wax melts and a scarf for SIL. Oh and I bought half a Stornaway black pudding.

I refused to buy anything from the Snowdonia stall. She wants £6 a block of cheese and they are £4.50 on their website!

[Taswama]

Churros, pizza, more churros. Sweets. A ride on the Merry go around and a go on the dodgems.

I have previously bought slippers (that lasted several years), local beer, local cheese and stollen (from our twin town).

I normally go once on my own (in my lunch break) and again with the kids at the weekend.

[PoshWatchShitShoes]

Loved my potter around a festive fayre this weekend...

3 little bags of Christmas pot purri (for me)
Box of 6 different dark choc bars (for DH)
Chilli oil (for kitchen)
Garlic oil (for kitchen)
Coffee beans (for DH)
Lemon-infused honey (for kitchen)
Crunchy peanut butter (for kitchen)
Chocolate & orange peanut butter (for DC)
Hot chilli sauce (for DH)
Candle (for me)
3 sets of beeswax wraps (for me)

And then mulled cider whilst wandering about

[EatSleepRantRepeat]

I went to a charity outdoor market last year, and the best stall was for the Women's Institute! I found beautifully knitted and felted Christmas decorations, and the best woollen beanie hat that I'm still wearing this year. They were only asking fir donations but I gave them what I would have spent in Accessorise, you can tell they were hours of work.

[ProudThrilledHappy]

Visited a fayre today and at least a third of the stalls were selling hand made wax melts, are they really that popular?!

[miltonj]

A wooden toy for my daughter, a big bag of olives. Some cheese, chocolate pancake, mulled wine. So yeah I personally just got food and drink but there was absolutely loads of other stuff on offer.

[evilharpy]

We were at one on Friday night in a local town, so not one of the big German ones but there were lots of stalls. We didn't buy much but there were lots of things I liked. Handmade soap/skincare with essential oils (not bloody MLM like Tropic etc but really nice locally made stuff), leather goods including nice cross body bags, hand turned wooden items like pens (I bought my husband a similar one last year and he loved it), several brownie/cake stalls, a local gin stall, various house ornaments/tat, and one lady selling kumihimo bracelets in all sorts of patterns which were really unusual. I bought some incense from a stall selling lots of Indian things, I could quite happily have bought one of everything they had. Plus the usual silver jewellery, WI knitted stuff and preserves, wreaths etc.

[TabithaTiger]

Just seen @QuebecHouse has posted the link

[TabithaTiger]

There was a brilliant thread last year where someone
posted that, as Christmas markets were cancelled due to COVID, they were considering putting on their own in the back garden. It was so funny! I'll see if I can find it.

[GrandmasCat]

Some overpriced wooden decorations for the Christmas tree. I just found pretty much the same at Home Bargains for a tenth of the market price

[DrNo007]

Went to one in Brighton and it was crap. Just food—and horrible food at that. Won’t go to another ever again.

[thesockfromtheroof]

Bought a wheel of cheese, a Santa hat, a set of books for DS, some cakes, Christmas lights, and a new bauble

[lebkuchenforxmas]

I like the craft fairs like the Country Living one or the one at Stonor House where you have independent traders selling their items, many of which are a bit different and make good gifts. Otherwise, Christmas markers are good for atmosphere and a mulled wine or a hot chocolate but that's it.

[Vickles20]

Went to the bath Christmas market. Which was technically cancelled this year. But went anyway. Bought nothing from the market but bought our usual Christmas fudge from the Sam Francisco fudge company.
Saw a couple of ladies wearing the most beautiful knitted/crochet double pom pom dark red woolly hats. They were lush. But didn’t ask them where they got them from

[Vickles20]

Blenheim Palace Christmas market
Flapjacks from Flapjackery. They had Christmas flavour ones. Wish I bought more!!
Festive jam
Christmas marmalade

Went to lovely local Christmas market at a local church yesterday. Came away with cute Pom pom Christmas pudding tree decorations They’re lush. Also bought mince pie brownie. And biscoff fudge
Really wanted handmade fabric Christmas party hats. But I have 4 kids and it would’ve been too much