very much alive, and also the search for fine china. so i'll be visiting famous, my son, porcelain manufacture. let go. destination culture in 30 minutes on d w. so he wanted to know what makes the german he just been a german love and batting thing with them away. but i'm not even know how to work my own car. and everyone was late arrivals and every day getting are you ready to meet the german can join me, rachel stuart on d. w. ah, ah, ah, ah ah hello, and welcome to the special christmas edition of checking. every year in december,

germany is transformed into a huge winter wonderland. almost every town opens at least one christmas market. everywhere you go, the air is filled with a scent of roasted almonds, sausages and mould wine. these days you'll find christmas markets all over the world, but its origin fly in german speaking nations. free corona, germany boasted, at least 3000 christmas markets. last year, 2020, all the markets stayed shut. now many have reopened, mainly in northern germany, where the case rate is currently lower than in the south. ah, we take a look at 3 of the most gorgeous christmas markets of 2021. we take you along on a tour of christmas in cologne, lew,

back and berlin. we revealed the art of crafting a hand made icon in dresden, stolen or fruitless. and we attempt to solve the mystery of the christmas pickle. is it a german or an american invention? ah, lou, we start off at the christmas market at cologne cathedral. the tree at the center of the square is 25 meters tall. it's surrounded by a canopy of lights comprising 70000 eli d's. this year the stand and machin, or star girls who help visitors are also carrying out spa checks. good evening were checking whether you are vaccinated or recovered the stand and mention and sure people abide by the corona, virus restrictions only. those who have been vaccinated against cove it or

recovered from it can visit the market and the costume girls scan people's proof of vaccination and issue stamps that are valid at cologne's other christmas markets to have a pleasant evening. by in this 2nd, pandemic, winter checks are essential. but how do people react to them? and so as i mentioned about the markets i've worked, people have always welcomed checks in the not so far, no one has gotten upset or anything with a stamp on your hand, you're ready to set off and see the sites. did you know that the christmas market that cologne cathedral is the largest in all of germany? before the corona virus outbreak for 1000000 visitors flocked here. and just for weeks this year, organizers expect only half as many guests, but that hasn't dampened people's mood. this is ron feel is

a lot less crowded than normal. you know, saying we come to the cologne christmas market once a year. there are fewer folks, but there's still a nice holiday mood. we wouldn't want to miss again, nothing. and this is my 1st time here. it's very quiet due to corona, but the atmosphere is really pleasant. as i use guns that up, hotel, always miscellaneous. i must say it's quite nice. i'd often puts you in a christmasy mood showing you the lights are nice. the music to let what i was a good variety of stalls. i mean it's a we get dinners, intervene and netherlands, but the german food is much nicer. is lot more soccer, which i'm very fond of. but i love the, the potato pancakes that they have here was fantastic. and the, the plumb lock. is that what's called thumb? lux. yes. fantastic. yeah. and obviously the brought worse with those grilled sausages, waffles, gingerbread and candy canes. are classic treat sold at every german christmas

market. but cologne has things you won't find everywhere. you can have a photo taken with a loved one under the mistletoe. maybe even steal a kiss, according to british traditions, that brings luck, or by a love love. you can attach it to one of the bridges over the rhine and cologne, or somewhere closer to home, to show that your bond is everlasting. the mugs used to serve mold wine or another nice souvenir. there's a new design every year. the taste of cologne's organic mold wine also undergo subtle changes. it is a night went to a special about our mold wine, is that we offer red, white and rosy varieties. excellent. my hair refined by a team from the christmas market that includes a summer. yay! for finance and what would christmas be without music? other cities may have cancelled their big on stage events. but the people of

cologne loved singing too much to do that even performing carnival songs at the christmas market. so join in and sing along. ah ah, here are the 3 things you really must do at cologne's christmas market. to take a photo under the mistletoe sample, some organic mold wine, catch a show and sing along loudly. ah. 2 german bakeries operate at full capacity and run up to christmas loo producing treats such as gingerbread. from nuremberg. and ah!

and not forgetting st. so from dresden, this fruit love usually sells like hot cakes at the dress, and pizza mocked not this year though as the market remains shut due to the corona virus. in a report from the archive we show you once again, how check in reporter lucas steger learned some tricks of the trade from a states as baker. before the pandemic hit ah injuries miss a very proud of this story. a cake like fruit bread. this christmas specialty even gave the market its name. the old german word for showing it's only originally stolen if it's baked in, one of the $150.00 bakeries in and around police. and it has to have the steel of the shooting protectionist to i am going to learn how to make

a real stone master bigger than krista is my boss, and i am his apprentice. oh, why is the stone protected down whisker should it has to be protected? so that not any old baker in germany can call their fruit cake devised and stolen in black when death, our family or so we got the idea for this seal, which every baker in his geographically protected area. again, jacob yield, beg, old dad, jackie o'clockish, if it's lock is spot before they do for they have to ensure their quality meets our standards. inch placement went on for self installation which ingredients have to be in. it is much one for can i place original. dresden christmas stolen ingredients are always measured in relation to flour. fruit akilah, 8 to 500 grams of butter will come with a little smile. and i love them. yeah, we have a recipe that we have to follow from the 65 percent. so thomas was 16 percent sweet

and been allen's, and 25 percent candid lemon and orange peel on chart. if him fanciful, 10 gets hard work. the other stolen has its price dashed out and had time and we had to earn it what the no. him off, it always. he has the balls of your hands that venge your fingers again and back again. we're going to love them. yeah, exactly. i think had used the bowls of your hands. yeah. like a massage yard that why baker's as how healthy like i oh, i think isn't that she should have said i don't think band is impressed with me. hollow. so sir, that now we pull the corners in and then finish it off, crashing it together, loose through it to sun. but i always thought, i'm not a natural annika discount will manage it. when will i keep rolling it and pull it always rolling? what does it by itself and i didn't danica the next. please. boom with us. it doesn't take a lot of effort to maggie did we dropped dead on to 500 stolen

a day. almost done so thick that these are 8 low, so he's taking his out of the island so we can put am sam yesterday and she making story is good exercise 1.8 kilograms in each n him of nit darby around time. so this is the final product. ours just needs the finishing touches more butter. buffalo whispering pops, who pushed off when it was land, the radio blackened phone to the i'll show you that action a bunch of people that i bar on the side little map is a long form of ill. and the grand finale icing sugar girth. that's enough. sugar's girdle was, but too much in so unhealthy. good,

a synthetic as well as his valet since an original dresden stolen horn from the l may by the apprentice. ah, our next stop is the historic old town of lou back home to one of the oldest christmas markets in northern germany. it was 1st mentioned in historical documents from the mid 17th century. we don't know precisely what the styles were offering back then, but we can tell you what lou baxa tops these. no sellers are to day from western germany we had nor to lu back. the holton date is the hands, the attic cities, most famous landmark. it's image can be found all over lou back christmas market. ah, the medieval old town provides the perfect backdrop for festive events. yet things are much quieter here than in cologne. the city band all stage shows to prevent

large gathering and has been produced strict safety measure how much do they can do back decided to impose a mosque mandate in the, in a city and visit the market? is it is, must be either vaccinated against ovid or have recovered from it. they must present their id and approve the vaccination or prior infection by the can the, the knock life. so there's a high level of security. i think something our visitors and operate is really value in times like these safety play such a big role. this is another factor which contributes to that sense of safety. is that this year there are simply far fewer visitors ah, in lieu back is an old trading and seafaring city that's always been well connected internationally. maybe that's why visitors come from all over the i come from sweden time from cuba. i'm

from venezuela. if i come from brazil, i'm from thailand, from brazil, wine and international. the round of mold wine among friends, though in lou back, you should also give the foyer sung and bow and try. but be where it's alcohol content is quite high. on the point at some point sang and bullet is the sugarloaf on top. it's soak in, hyper from and then from bait until the sugar life is melted from the recipe. red wine, orange. look, you have certain spices, i rum and mall. why he was to convert the old woman in vine. there's nothing like a mug of foiled song and bold to warm your heart on cold days. with

a trip to lubbock at christmas time just wouldn't be as sweet without a visit to cafe nita vega. here you can get a taste of the festive holiday confection, lou, back as famous for mars of han monte pong. the state of if marson pan consists mainly of 2 ingredients, f a. c. almon pot and sugar homa han yet sustain. we in neither egg, i still make it the traditional way, guns i and tati said that he gives the mars a pan that roasted aroma west. we still roasted in old copper kettles and i in west caisson glister. then we add a secret ingredient. my client as to which i can't reveal it exist perhaps. but a small exhibition does reveal the firm's history. in 18 o, 6, johan georg, anita aga, opened a cafe. soon afterwards he started to make mars a pan, often pressing it into moulds like these. and this is his original recipe,

though, unfortunately, the secret ingredient is written on the back. mars the pan can be formed into virtually any shape, like these live sized figures. for instance. incidentally, the man with a top hat is johan georg, neither vega himself, there's even a replica of lou backs, old town made almost entirely of martha pan. so these are the 3 must do that lu backs christmas mar. samples and lou back mars upin sipped some boiled song and bola and enjoy the flare of the old town with german christmas. markets are

also a great place to find tree decorations and not all of them traditional christmas pickles. for example, this is a friend that comes over to us from the united states. the pickles are really popular. they're apparently because they're thought of as typically german. but you won't find them on many trees here. d w reporter halley rollinson set out to solve the christmas pickle. mystery. ah, yes, the christmas pickle. a beloved in time under german tradition, at least that's what i was told. but i'm in berlin at cody b. germany's biggest department store and i can't find a single one and these christmas trees are all the pay. oh, but luckily i brought my own. but let me back up where i come from. united states.

many people think that all germans hang a single pickle on their 1st mystery. even many american families follow this so called german tradition. so according to this tradition, the 1st person to find the christmas pickle on the christmas tree, it's an extra gift. but to be honest, i haven't seen or heard of a single christmas pickle in germany since i've lived here. so i'm going to ask some germans during their christmas shopping if they've heard of it. bang indeed, are you, hey, a christmas pickle on your christmas tree. this year i not so loud that must be a tradition elsewhere. it's not a german tradition. would pardon me? do you mean a crime? strong cucumber is not my favorite vegetable music crystals. gunter crystals pickles no. no. what's the christmas pickup? we'll give. what do you do? with it, i even had to explain it to santa and germany. in fact, 12016 survey found that 91 percent of germans had never heard of it. so if this tradition isn't german, where does it come from?

and how did it end up in the united states? with a little christmas magic, i'm headed to the small german mountain village of now share in their india to explore that a bit more. if anyone knows the origin of a particular glass ornament, it's the people of lucia. they've been blowing glass here since 1597 and producing ornaments since the mid 19th century glass blemish ion holland is the 4th generation to take over his family christmas ornament business. he hand makes and sells glass ornaments, including the christmas pickle to buyers worldwide. but actually he only learned about the tradition in recent years on a visit to california. i was asked and also you also make christmas pickle. thanks . i just laughed. but then someone else asked the same question until a 3rd, and on a started wondering, what is it with these christmas pickles of anson one explained that its tradition in germany. it's a hang a pickle on your christmas tree. and that is,

every american knows. this was modeling nobody in germany. doses cried little girl that made him curious. so he came home to search through his grandfather's glass molds from the 19 thirty's shop. not even my found this gurkin windows since then we've been producing these glass pickles. oh, now he sells pickle. ornaments to customers in places like japan, norway, switzerland, and of course the united states. but if he just learned about this tradition, then where did the story start? well, there are handful legend surrounding the origin of the christmas pickle. one sense that a prison guard took pity in a starving german born soldier during the american civil war and allowed him to eat a single pickle. with this act of kindness, he was able to survive and began hanging a pickle on the street each year. some say it was this man frank w bulworth, who needed a gimmick when he began importing ornaments from germany to the u. s. in 1880 s, but maybe i need to ask someone who knows this christmas town the best. so i'm

meeting lough, shamir, nor but sits man at las park last winter. founded in 1853. this is the oldest, still existing glass out in town, mister mayor. do you know the tradition of the christmas pickle is its irma? why not school go home? we were confused, assistant christmas pickle up. what's that? that's what we learned that abroad and people are convinced that the christmas pickle is an essential german christmas item made. and lucia is personally, i think some clever marketing guy invented this. one site is or person's family, although she has been making glass pickle, square feet, simply because foreigners believe it's a local specialty, both of motor contracts to corker. ok, so i still don't have an exact answer, but there might still be hope i'm going to talk to gary ross, a local who came across the pickle tradition in his research for a magazine and marcia glass. so what can you tell us about the history of the christmas pickle help be? she knocked off washed. i did some research and found out that a,

some families got a tradition of giving the person. i'm found the special christmas tree decoration on the tree. the 1st or largest keshawn, thus gross build, other aspects of the, of dark. that's how the christmas pic or story originated her. why not squiggle mark so we may never know exactly where this pickle tradition comes from, but it's early as a little bit of fun. and me, one day the germans will know what i'm talking about, but until then, i have an idea i our christmas theme tour of germany reaches berlin. the streets and squares of the capital are festooned with twinkling lights. and most of the cities christmas markets are open again. this year too. we counted more than 40. we take you along to the christmas market and friend of the red city hall in the downtown district of

meter. berlin is the 3rd stop on our christmas tour. this year there are more than 40 christmas markets open in the capital, the one in front of the whole. it is hot house or red city hall in the district of meta is one of the prettiest. like every year visitors can lay up their gates and glide around the neptune fountain. the only thing missing the daily shows normally performed here but another crowd favorite is back again. the 50 meter tall ferris wheel. it's panoramic gone to love are heated. so rider a stay nicely worn and have a view over the whole market. in berlin, everything's a bit larger than life,

like this huge christmas pyramid. it was crafted in the africa, or, or mountains in the state of saxony, an area known for its traditional christmas ornaments. here, miners, wood carvings, reflected their longing for light. handicrafts from the africa b ago are sold at many markets, including in berlin. these are pyramids in incense, smokers, known as washer mention, and even figures of the miners themselves, ah, another well known motif is this little church. this is your desire to life and charge a motif used in many things. guns on candle arches, in pyramids as the pyramid itself sized life. and is it thank to be the capital of the attica beggar? or in the way of saint james, the route the over road. they all cross and zion 100. that's like,

why does it it'll church is as famous as cologne cathedral. dia fly. nicole, his overwhelmed look? oh no, don't me. many germans place these candle arches by their windows at christmas. they're called spit bogan, after the german word for floating hears. why does this in it's done with a minus i came out of the mine that hang them minus lamps over the thing that made it look like a floating illuminated arch even when done, whether shape and shape came from him. who'd have thought that old traditions would play such a big role at a berlin christmas market today? but there is more you can even watch an artist, blacksmith at work, or find handmade during if you still need to buy a christmas present or to use.

and of course, in berlin, we checked out a mold wine stand on your behalf. here they also serve me like the health ones drank me. me, me to honey wine. it's been around 3000 years because the kind we have this is trial and the wrong with unusual. it always depends on the honey that's for an adult. if you think you're seeing things after a couple of glasses, that's not because of the meat. santa claus really is flying over the christmas market. live and in person here in berlin. ah, you are 3 must dues for the christmas market by berlin city hall. take a ride on the ferris wheel. marvel at wood aren't from the ants,

could be again and try some me. oh, but santa claus always has the last word for word of merry christmas. the least navi button ah ah ah ah, ah, with

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d. w. how long does a or an eternity time? it can be measured precisely. and yet each person, it seems, is it differently as if there are different forms of type type a phenomena, a dimension and illusion about time starts december 31st on d, w. mm. mm. ah, this is d w news, and these are our top stories. the office be that's prime minister mark we're to has announced i had lockdown in the netherlands. i have a christmas because of the fastest spreading on the crown crone of our spirit boss . when a chop was filled city streets.