The cities in Thuringia are gradually starting to prepare for the Christmas season. The first shining stars are already hanging.
Erfurt (dpa/th) - After the pandemic-related failures last year, the first cities in Thuringia are starting their Christmas season. The Christmas winter decorations have been in place in Erfurt since the beginning of November. At the start of the Christmas market on November 22nd against the backdrop of the cathedral, around 14 kilometers of light chains and hoses as well as around 230,000 energy-saving LEDs will light up throughout the state capital. The Erfurt Christmas market is the largest in the country. Before the pandemic, it had attracted tens of thousands of visitors, not just from Bavaria.
In Gera, the work is traditionally supposed to start two weeks before the "fairy tale market", i.e. in the coming week. The Gera Christmas market starts on November 24th. On the 25th, the atmospheric get-together on the market in Jena is set to begin again. In Eisenach, the construction of the Christmas market will start next weekend.
The energy crisis seems to have little impact on the Christmas market season. None of the municipalities surveyed want to completely do without the background music of the pre-Christmas period. Switching to energy-saving LED lamps is playing into the hands of many cities. In Jena, Erfurt and Weimar, for example, the energy-saving potential at the Christmas market was rated as comparatively low. Patio heaters have also been banned from the market for some time. Canceling the Christmas markets is out of the question for most cities. The ambience during the Christmas season is contemplative, gives many people strength and strengthens social interaction.
In contrast to other Thuringian cities, Eisenach, Gotha, Weimar and Erfurt initially decided in favor of the Christmas market in 2021, despite increasing corona numbers. Most Thuringian cities such as Eisenach, Jena, Suhl and Nordhausen, on the other hand, canceled their Christmas markets directly due to the worrying number of infections. Ultimately, all Christmas markets had to close due to tightening of the corona measures.
