Birmingham’s brand new Christmas lights were extensively celebrated on Saturday when the annual Christmas Lights Switch On party at Millenium Point attracted tens of thousands of people. Yippeee!
Even though it was just a few days after Bonfire night, the City Council treated us to free concerts and another fireworks display which rocked the city. And…..we now deserve the name Eco-Birmingham: Our lights are fancy energy-saving ones that use 75% less energy than the old fuel munching ones.
This HUGE event marked the launch of Brum’s marathon of Christmas events, most importantly the Frankfurt Christmas Market, which starts today, runs for 6 weeks until December 23 and wil be open daily from 10am-9pm.
It is the biggest German Christmas market in the UK, Birmingham City Council and the BBC even claim that it is the “world’s largest authentic German Christmas market to be staged outside Germany or Austria”. As an expert on German Christmas markets I can at least confirm the “authentic” bit.
Victoria Square with the lit up Council House and Town Hall in the background is undoubtedly a beautiful location for the market and it is always great to hang out between the stalls with friends on lazy afternoons or cold winter nights, warming oneself up with a nice cup of Glühwein (mulled wine) or two, or three….
You can also get German beer if you prefer a cold drink, plenty of different food, German Christmas sweets and of course all the needless stuff (some may call it Christmas presents) that can commonly be found at these markets. If you’re lucky there might even be a good band playing on the small stage to entertain you - they have live music daily in the afternoon and evening.
And if you want the ultimate authentic German Christmas experience you might be lucky and your favourite German receptionist from the Hatters Birmingham will join you - but you will have to buy the Glühwein 
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jesse
I loooved the Frankfurt Markets in Birmingham! I had my first mulled wine there mmm
They are the best at night and look so pretty!