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?

[longtompot]

A local gin which has become my favourite.

[twocandlelady]

They’re shite! It’s just the done thing to say you like them.

[FindingFlorestan]

It was the Edinburgh one. Dire.

[MrsBerthaRochester]

Im planning to go to the one in Glasgow this weekend but I wont be buying anything as apparently they are card payment only and I think this is wrong so wont buy on principle.
The one in George square was cancelled again and kids were disappointed as there were rides there.

[FindingFlorestan]

Nothing and I decided never to go to one again.

[QuebecHouse]

You might want to take a look at this thread in Classics, holymolyguacamoles

AIBU To try and recreate a Christmas market in my back garden

[Jowak1]

I thought the Manchester Markets this year were mainly food and drink stalls. We still had a lovely time drinking mulled wine and the kids had sausages and pancakes but in last years I have bought a fair few presents at them and didn't think there was many gift stalls this year.

[MeanderingGently]

Nothing. It cost to get in and I was disappointed, lots of food and drink, trinkets I don't want, rides, mulled wine (I don't drink alcohol).
Next time I'll just go to the supermarket....I can wander round looking at food and drink for free there....

[ICouldHaveCheckedFirst]

Went to Birmingham one last week. Was at least 80% food & drink for immediate consumption. We enjoyed a Currywurst each. I was very disappointed.

Winchester was much better. About 80% gifts. Bought jam, chutney, whisky, marshmallows. Could have bought glass baubles, other glass ornaments, coasters, handmade wooden things etc etc.

[Lyricallie]

Nothing sadly they were all pretty rubbish we started making a game of take a hypothetical shot everytime you saw stalls with the weird plastic spinning things, the "live laugh love" signs or similar, "handmade Christmas decorations", the glass plates. We literally went to three different markets over a weekend and they were all selling the exact same tat. Luckily where I live in the Highlands it's so far away that it is only literally local businesses, however I was away the weekend it was on so missed out.

[stayingaliveisawayoflife]

We went to Kingston to the marquee market and the outside. It was a bit limited and lots of the shops are now closed but I did get some more charcoal cheese and socks! I bought starry night, scream and the Mona Lisa I'm sick form.

[hivemindneeded]

In the past I've bought sloe gin, some cute hand made keyrings and DS bought me some decorative mugs one year.

[hivemindneeded]

Nothing. Went to one in central London and it was loads of disgracefully overpriced tat or sausages and gluhwein which we didn't want.

[Milliways]

Not this year, but previously:
Toffee Vodka
Tree decorations
Lincolnshire plum bread
Fudge
A soft santa/Gonk style toy
Musical snow globe

[Jayaywhynot]

I bought a pork pie and drank my body weight in free gin samples 😂

[user1493494961]

I don't think they're all different, all the big ones I've been to have been pretty similar, I've bought better things locally.

[BatshitCrazyWoman]

Bath, a couple of years ago. I bought myself a labradorite ring, and also a cute hat for a new baby.

[KimikosNightmare]

@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.

The only good thing to come out of Covid was last year's cancellation of this. I had hoped we'd get a second year out of it but I see it's back.

[Tailrunner]

We went to a smaller local market today and bought locally made sloe and gooseberry gins plus wax melts for SIL, a garden thermometer in shape of garden fork and a bird feeder style thing filled with alpaca wool for nest building for DDad, a cute pincushion, tin with sewing clips and quilting mat for DM, the DDs fell in love with some owls and xmas trees at a blanket makers stall so we have bought some for tree and owls for their rooms and DD1 found a handmade necklace with glass pendant and was fascinated when the lady explained how she made it. We also bought expensive brownies, cakes and coffee. We've had a nice day and overall it felt worth it.

[immersivereader]

A meat pie, German potato donuts and some bread.

[Doomscrolling]

There are definitely two main types - the "German" Christmas markets that are mostly awful, overpriced knickknacks, lots of food and a big beer tent, nothing handmade and no one is German either. Birmingham is one of the few good ones. Nice cute looking stalls, at least.

The others are "event" type markets with a ragbag of independent traders, Etsy sellers, small businesses and so on that vary wildly and tend to only be open for a weekend at a time in most places, rather than 4 weeks straight. I've done really well for unusual or original gifts at those.

[Sleepyteach]

Husband bought me a stunning framed photo of a local landmark (and one of my favourite places) from a local photographer at the Chatsworth one. Bought my mum a gorgeous HUGE hand painted bauble from Birmingham one year, she’d wanted one for years after seeing them in Austria but always worried about getting it home in one piece. Birmingham seems to have got a lot worse over the years.

[ParkheadParadise]

Christmas Market last weekend
I bought Christmas Baubles and Christmas ornaments for the Cemetery.
Gift wrapped Shortbread
Gift wrapped Malt whisky
Gift wrapped Chocolates
Candles

[languagelover96]

Cheese

[InvincibleInvisibility]

The best one was a market in a mountain village in eastern Germany. Had to go in a cafe to warm up every 20 minutes cos it was minus degrees.

No repetition of stalls and loads of authentic handmade things. Bought several wooden objects which I bring out every Christmas. The chocolate covered banana on a stick remains in my memory too!