I have accepted my own Christmas challenge

The little family and Dominic kick off the Christmas market season

One of the main things I was looking forward to experiencing in Germany are the incredible Christmas Markets (Weihnachtsmarkts) that begin at the end of November and run through Christmas. The first of them opened while Kathleen, Andrew, and baby Daniel were here last week and they became a near daily ritual for us. While savoring the smell of chestnuts, admiring the endless rows of lights, and singing along to the (nearly in tune) Christmas carols, I came up with a challenge for myself. I will attempt to go to every Berlin Christmas market this December. (It went something like this: Liz 1: "Liz, these are amazing. You should go to all of these." Liz 2: "Liz, okay." There are nearly 60 - ranging from the large and traditional to the offbeat and funky. I will suck it up and try glühwein, cookies, and fried donuts at each market night after night.

There are a few things that make the traditional markets "traditional." There is always a huge central stall that sells glühwein (hot mulled wine) and other hot drinks.

Schloss Charlottenberg Christmas Market

There are many food stalls - filled with hot foods like bratwurst, belgian waffles, and crepes for now, and delicious treats including roasted nuts, gingerbread, and cookies for later. And no surprise, tons of meat.

I'm not the vegetarian in this marriage

Then the shopping. Jewelry, candles, toys, Christmas decorations, soaps, slippers, socks - some handmade, some not.

Even the traditional markets can have a twist. On Friday I checked out the Rathaus Steglitz market and noticed somewhat of an "animal" theme. On my train ride there, I saw a huge fox-like creature (forgive the city girl, I have a tendency to doubt the accuracy of any animal I name). We were approaching nature. When I entered the market I noticed a life-size nativity scene complete with live sheep and donkeys. As I wandered away from that display I stumbled upon two dogs in a fight. (Bringing your dog to the market, a cafe, on the subway - all normal here.) Then we moved on to the "not alive" category of animal. I saw an entire pig on a spit (this was pre-noon). But the grand finale was a fake mounted deer head that sang Christmas carols - while moving its "mouth" - on the main stall.

I had two markets on my to-do list today (yes, I have charted them out by date and location on a huge city map) and upon exiting my apartment discovered that it was pouring rain. No matter. Fewer people, better opportunity for free samples, clear sightlines to see all the goods. Plus, as I learned this weekend - the Germans have a saying, "there is no bad weather, only bad clothing." Well, I don't have weather-proof clothing yet, but I pressed on. And thank god I did. There was fried dough to be had, and I devoured it.