The smell of roasted almonds and chestnuts in the nose, a cup of mulled wine or punch in your hand, fairy lights and star decorations against the evening sky. That belongs to the run-up to Christmas, but more and more Christmas markets like in Unterföhring or Arget are canceled or at least are on the brink. The background is the increasing corona infections. But some of the undaunted are still holding out and planning their markets, albeit under strict hygiene requirements. It will probably amount to at least 2 G.
The framework concept of the Bavarian state government of October 18, 2021 still applies. It specifies which hygiene requirements Christmas markets must meet in the open air and in closed rooms and allows stricter rules. The organizers react to this with flexible concepts. They expect a tightening and don’t want to decide what to do until the next few days. It seems as if Corona did not want to give up.
It is still uncertain whether the pre-Christmas market at the Räter shopping center (REZ) in Kirchheim will kick off again as usual. According to REZ manager Fritz Humplmayr, there will be no program on stage if the market takes place at all. “First of all, we want to make people happy this week with a few stands,” he says.
The REZ canceled the Kathrein market last weekend due to the infection. In particular, the Sunday planned as a family day with performances by Punch and Judy and the magic clown put the children at too high a risk, who are less likely to get sick, but could in turn infect “grandma and grandpa at home”, according to Humplmayr.
A supporting program is questionable
“We are prepared for eventualities such as fences, we can quickly install entrance controls,” says Andrea Braun, who is responsible for the magic of the booth in Neubiberg town hall. The Neubiberger Christmas Dult, organized together with the local trade association, is traditionally supposed to open on the first weekend in Advent. This year it extends to the maypole parking lot and also in front of the old town hall and in the adjacent beer garden of the local restaurant. In this way, the 25 stalls could be spatially separated and the visitors could be spread out.
But Braun is also waiting for the new regulations. Only then will it be decided whether pony rides, Santa Claus and storytellers are allowed to please the children as well as music from “Harmonie Neubiberg” and others the adults or whether it has to stay with pure booth magic. In view of the Corona situation, Braun has arranged for the district office’s vaccination bus to stop on Saturday, November 27, from 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. in front of the senior citizen center on Hauptstraße, i.e. opposite the Dult. So everyone can combine a visit to the market with a spade without registering. Braun is also negotiating with the local test center whether it will open longer on the Dult weekend: “Then theoretically 2-G-plus would be conceivable, if possible.”
Susanne Röder from the Unterhaching trade association wants to decide these days whether the local Christmas market, the largest in the Munich district, can take place on the first weekend in Advent. In order to ensure large distances, it was moved from the center of the village to the long parking lot in front of the Hachinga Hall at the start of planning in September. You can easily fence it in there.
“We do not do without that much,” says Röder, there are disposable dishes because a dishwasher is currently not allowed. 31 exhibitors and a colorful program with music await the guests. In the Hachinga Hall itself, the hobby artist market is also planned with 15 booths a long way apart. This starts on Friday evening. Except for 2 G, admission is restricted to a maximum of 199 people in total.
The community postponed the newly planned medieval Christmas market in Haar at short notice because they did not see themselves in a position to take care of the organization so quickly. There was also fear, as Mayor Andreas Bukowski (CSU) says, that there would be a big crowd because fans could arrive from afar. The classic Christmas market with the clubs is to take place on the second Saturday in Advent, December 4th, 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., at Kirchenplatz. The initiator Alois Rath is still looking for young actors for the “Living Crib” with a minimal cast, the sheep have already announced their arrival, it says on the community website.
It remains to be seen whether the Christmas market in Unterschleißheim will take place on the four weekends in Advent. Out of consideration for the dealers, one does not want to cancel it in advance, it is said from the town hall.
Which market will ultimately open its doors and how will be decided shortly and published on the municipality’s website. Corona makes a more precise forecast impossible.