It could have just happened over time, all by itself, purely according to the calendar and almost on a regular basis. After all, October begins on this Friday, and yes: the supermarkets naturally already have the essentials ready. But in times like these, in the pandemic, nothing just happens. The state government is needed, and it decided on Thursday or, according to its own communication, “confirmed that in the coming Advent and Christmas season, subject to particularly negative developments in the infection situation in the open air, Christmas and Christmas markets in Bavaria will be possible again”. Thanks to the open sky, because otherwise, instead of the Christmas and Christkindl markets mentioned, there might have been Christmas and Christkindl market substitute events, as was previously the case with the folk festivals.
According to the state government, this also applies: “The previous ban on public festivals and public festivities is no longer applicable.” That goes well, of course, because by far most Christmas markets are hardly anything other than folk festivals without a ghost train anyway. They are definitely public festivities, and it would have been really stupid if they were possible again, even though they are still banned. The other way around, it would have been much safer to only ban things that are not possible, but only incidentally.
In any case, the Christmas markets are now possible again, and the question immediately arises of how exactly this should work so that the infection situation does not develop particularly negatively again. So that in the crowd in front of the mulled wine stand, the fourth or fifth wave does not spill over the country like white mulled wine over the cup rim. Details have yet to be worked out, says Health Minister Klaus Holetschek on request. And so, for example, the city of Passau announced on Thursday that their Christmas market would take place “as usual” on Domplatz, but only “with an appropriate hygiene concept”. This will then possibly amount to 4G: vaccinated, recovered, tested, mulled wine. In any case, the announcement of the state government does not only mean that the Christ Child can be expected for Advent: “As far as necessary, regulations will be issued in good time.”