USA'S LARGEST GERMAN CHRISTMAS MARKET | Chicago's Christkindlmarket
Вставка
- Опубліковано 4 лип 2024
- Did you know that Chicago, Illinois is home to the LARGEST German Christmas market in the USA? We traveled all the way from Germany to ask the important question: how authentic is it? We were totally surprised!
Ready to give Lingoda a try? Get 20 euros or 25 dollars off your deposit of the Sprint Challenge with the code: JONATHANDEC
or click this link: try.lingoda.com/ForestFamily_Dec
Episode 85 | #germany #americaningermany#chicago #christmas #christmasmarket #travelvlog #christkindlmarkt #expatlife #sprint202212 #Lingoda #Lingodareview #learngerman #detusch | Filmed November 22nd, 2022
Jump to your favorite Part:
00:00 Intro
02:10 History of the Chicago Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza
03:25 Rating the Ambiance of the Chicago Christmas Market
04:45 Our Tip for Learning German
07:21 Imported Glühwein?!
08:55 Not just Bavarian Food... but its EXPENSIVE.
11:00 The best hot chocolate I have ever had.
12:02 So... what did we think?
GEAR IN THIS VIDEO:
Camera: tinyurl.com/22a5wbe7
Microphone: tinyurl.com/rufut97v
Lens: tinyurl.com/z3k73bv6
Bendy Tripod Thing: tinyurl.com/d4w687pk
Memory Card: tinyurl.com/zy7j54ac
External Hard Drive: tinyurl.com/nmters57
External Hard Drive Backup: tinyurl.com/vduwnaea
Music in Episode: tinyurl.com/BLACKFORESTFAMILY
DISCLOSURE: The links above may contain affiliate links. This means that, at no cost to you, the Black Forest Family may earn a commission if you click through to make a purchase.
📸 Follow us on Instagram for behind the scenes content: @blackforestfam /
✈️ We created our blog to help you learn more about living, studying, working, and traveling abroad! For more information about the content in this video visit ➡️ www.blackforestfamily.com/ ⬅️
📧 Sign up for our Black Forest Family Newsletter email here - www.blackforestfamily.com/fol...
------------------
💳 Here’s our FREE guide to the best southern Black Forest Germany Day Trips: www.blackforestfamily.com/the...
🛵 Our 101 TOP TRAVEL TIPS:
www.blackforestfamily.com/wp-...
------------------
SUPPORT OUR WORK: www.blackforestfamily.com/fol...
FAMILY TRAVEL GEAR: www.blackforestfamily.com/shop/
FACEBOOK: /
------------------
Originally from the Midwest of the USA, we moved to the #blackforest in 2013 and quickly embraced #expatlife. As American expats living in #Germany, things weren't always easy, but we've grown to love our life in Germany. We started this #travelvlog to share our experiences with friends and family, and to help those who are interested in moving overseas! Whether you are interested in moving abroad, working abroad, studying abroad, raising a family abroad, or just want to #traveleurope, we're here to give you a first person look at what lies ahead. 😊🎥🌎
Hey there! We've revamped our Language Sprint rewards and are excited to share the news! No more 100% cashback, but get ready for something even better: more free classes to celebrate your achievements! 🌟
Complete the regular Sprint, attend 30 classes in 2 months, and score 40 free lessons as your reward. Opt for the Super Sprint, complete 60 classes, and unlock 75 free lessons! 🥇🏆
Plus, don't forget: your language skills will soar, and you’ll learn for free even after the challenge ends! 🚀
Ready to level up your language journey? Let's go! 🎉
I am a life long Chicagoan who has resided in Portland,Oregon for the last 17 years. I miss the Chicago Christmas Market. My German wife and I used to make a special trip to the Market just to get the German potato pancakes made by a German gentleman who would come yearly from Germany just to make them at the Market. On our last trip to Germany at Christmas time, we attended several of the markets, and of course, sampled Gluehwein und Reibekuchen at all of them!
YUM! I (Ashton) grew up a couple of hours south of Chicago and always wanted to visit. My parents really, really enjoyed the experience, as did my cousins who were visiting. My cousin-in-law is Polish and there is a large Polish community in Chicago as well. One stand was selling pierogis and she LOVED it.
I've been to the Oregon Gardens many times, but never at Christmas time. I will check it out.
A few Xmas ago, I stopped by a stand of an Austrian lady who sold her hand- painted glass baubles and I mentioned that I had missed seeing her the year before at her stand at Vienna's Christkindlmarkt and she told me she had been invited to participate in the Chicago Christmas market. She said there's a kind of lottery and the chamber of commerce here selects those who would best represent the city/country in Chicago.
So glad you got to share the market with your family, Ashton. Have a wonderful time!
BTW, there is a huge community of Burgenland descendants in the Chicago area.
I appreciate the sign's proper use of "ü" in "Glühwein", "München", "Nürnberg" and "Thüringer" and the "ö" in "Döner". And what really amuses me is the import of the "Cash only" experience I really don't like in German Weihnachtsmärkten.
There were a few places that would accept cards, but the vast majority were cash only. Most Americans will use cards for nearly every purchase. So we had a good chuckle that whom ever operated the ATM machine inside of the Christmas market was making a TON of profits in fees from that location.
Cash is king in Germany ! Geld ist Konig in Deutschland !
It looks very authentic. It looks even much more authentic than some Christmas markets here in Germany I've seen.
Sehr toll-Chicago sind echte Weihnachtsmarkt in ganze Amerika !
It's a crime that this videos has only 13k views considering the amount of time that went into making it. But it's a journey - things will be better!
Welcome back to Chicago! We go to the Christkindlsmarkt in Aurora. It's a larger space than the one at Daley Plaza, so not as crowded, but the variety of food available at Daley Plaza is better. Prices are the same at both sites. The German-American Chamber of Commerce and the Consulate do a great job in helping to preserve German culture and traditions in this region.
ive been to Aurora-3x !
It actually really does look quite similar to the ones I know in Germany, the little stands and what they have in them. The Brezeln do look a bit different from what I’m used to in Freiburg maybe they’re patterned after a different region in Germany. It looks like fun.
It was a really fun time. We had a nice chat with the gentleman who was running the bratwurst stand who was from Bavaria. A really fun mixture of both German and local vendors.
In Germany we will never eat a Bratwurst together with Sauerkraut in one Roll because the Roll will get squishy if you don't eat very fast.
hahaha I know, I know. An interesting addition but one, I would say, that is pretty "typical" in American-German restaurants.
Bratwurst with Sauerkraut in a roll is very common in Regensburg (Bavaria). I just ate exactly that last weekend when I visited the Weihnachtsmarkt there. True, it was a bit messy, but managable.
@@jimhalpert9421 You can also get it in northern Germany, but I still think it's delicious.
Haaaa! We’ll be there in a few weeks! Awesome video! Excited to be back in the Windy City!
13:35 - _"Stuttgart, Germany"_
13:38 - _"Cash Only"_
yes, this seems to be a genuine german christmas market :-)
Jack looks like a miniature Jonathan. Especially when he was trying the hot chocolate. So cute.
He really is his little mini-me.
Ive met the owners of Bobs Belgian Hot Chocolate many times in Naperville and Chicago-best Hot Chocolate you will ever have this side of the pond !
Holy cow! The mug was huge this past Christmas! They’re usually like 1/3-1/2 the size!
They're doing a really good job there, I can see! Okay the prices 👀
Have a good time with your family we would have loved to see (cough)! Happy advent to you all!
Fantastic! Making us nostalgic for the beautiful city of Chicago. I hope you were able to also go along the Maggie Daley Skating Ribbon, enjoy a cup of Intelligentsia coffee, a walk on Promontory Point lakefront, and Japanese Garden of the Phoenix in the old Chicago World Fair site. Every time we're home those are some of our favourite haunts.
I have hit up a few of these places in the past and they are always great. We were only there for 48 hours. It was the day before Jack's birthday so we planned a big outing with his grandparents to do a day at the Aquarium and he LOVED it.
Glad to see Christmas Market in Chicago is thriving. As fellow American living in Germany, it is good to see the "gemütlichkeit" in the USA. Another Great Christmas Market is in Georgetown Colorado. It is 62 years strong.
I love fresh bismarck hering in a fresh bun whit much fresh fine cutted onion rings, pickles and an bit of our german kind of ranch dressing.
a&j,
aka black forest family.
sure we germans do agree you want to be proud about german x-mas is brought to the us, finally...
but, as you both know, the whole scenary, the feeling, even though the german language, all is missing in the us.
it might be georgeous to the us, but jonathan, ashton, tell your friends, the magic is in your home country, germany.
hugs
10 dollars for a mulled wine is criminal
Looks way better than I expected! The stands really look like they do in Germany/Austria. But with the business and cultural connections, that makes sense. It's nice to see the Glühwein being sold in actual ceramic cups with a Pfand. Btw, please please stress the Umlaut when you say Glühwein 😅 it is not glue-wine.
I wonder how strict the Americans are regarding drinking the alcoholic beverages and if they check ID and all that stuff.
Although there could be a grain of truth in that translation 😄
You have to show an ID to get a wristband and show the wristband when ordering alcoholic beverages.
@@bobnieland4827 While most of the festivals I have been to use that system.... Interestingly at this Christmas market they did none of those things. We ordered Glühwein without showing ID's... but maybe they just think we look old now. 😂
Well, that's true. They didn't check ours in Aurora, but they did check my daughter's ID. It's the same at grocery and liquor stores around here, too. If you're obviously older than 21, they don't check.
You look so happy at the german christmas market in Chicago. I think you are really at home in Germany 😃😄
Since we as Germans are curious and love to argue, every video that Ashton starts with "we are happy to donate our bodies to science" is a must-see. 🥇
One kind of authentic "German tradition" of the market huts is to take cash only - which was clearly visible. Hope there are enough ATM's around the place as Americans usually don't carry cash with them that often. I just have one question left about drinking beer or other alcoholic beverages outside in public. Were there checkpoints at the exits of the market or were those restrictions lifted?
there are chekpoints-Drinken im Strasse ist Verboten in Amerika !
I worked at Kathe Wohlfahrt Store in Naperville and Oak Brook Illinois ! Ive been to same market in Milwaukee,Wrigley Fieldand Aurora,Illinois ! Ive been to the one you visited at Daley Plaza (Picasso ) Chicago.many many times i can nor count ! Im not surprised that the food at Daley Plaza is 2x the price in Germany ! The Gluehwein @ $ 10.00 per Mug is more than 2x pricier here than in Germany,.i buy Gluehwein here at ALDI-and drink considerably less at home-like $ 5.99 per bottle. I am a Sparmeister-here in Amerika ! I am going to Christkindlmarkt-Chicago this week to shop and practice Mein Deutsche Sprache-Bis zum nachsten mal-Tchuess ! Nachste UA-cam Video=Muss machen in Deutsche Sprache ! Ich bin begeistert mit deine Deutscher/Englisch engagement ! Tchuess-Frohe Weihnachten und Gutes Rutsche !
Glad you were able to visit Chicago along with other family members there - what a special time it must have been for all of you. It's been quite a while ago for me, but Water Tower Place and all the window shopping along Michigan Avenue were really neat this this time of year. My mom (aka Aunt Millie) would have loved that German market - she treasured all her decorations, and Aunt Harriet (your Grandma) had made her a wonderful ceramic Santa on sleigh with reindeer, which I had gifted back to your dad so it could stay with your family, especially as it expands. Anyway - great choice on the sauerkraut sausage dog! Merry Christmas!
Glad you’re here! You may have noticed we’re in a recession and when that happens, everything is more expensive than it needs to be! That said, it hasn’t affected your holiday celebration, particularly your enjoyment of the Chicago Christkindlmarket. When times are hard for all of us, we must find it in ourselves to be happy and enjoy life.
We are actually going to make a video on inflation in the coming weeks. Although the global index says that inflation is actually worse in Germany, we really felt that the cost of goods (groceries, clothes, etc. ) were all more expensive in the USA.All of that being said, I felt quite torn with the prices. On the one hand, I wanted to support local vendors and I greatly appreciated the attention to detail with authentic ingredients at the Christmas market, but 10 bucks for a glass of glühwein was really shocking. That's double the cost of Germany.
@Norman F62 Inflation is actually worse in Germany at the moment.
@@TypeAshton Oh that's interesting. Will you also be going into detail about how the statistics are made? Because after I understood how the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics creates its unemployment numbers (phone polls!), and how the ILO numbers look quite differently for both the U.S. (higher) and Germany (lower), I've become very reluctant to trust any statistic coming out of that institution and its sisters. I've got the suspicion that there is too much political influence because they want to campaign on more favorable numbers, of course. Maybe you can shed light on these things a bit and restore my faith in them again (or shatter it completely). ;-)
@@TypeAshton In Deutschland gibt es auch Stände mit 9 Euro pro Glühwein. Mit den Unterschied das man in den USA mehr verdient.
@@TypeAshton I'm no economist, but in terms of the cost of goods being cheaper in Germany, isn't that always the case when comparing a developed country like the United States to the third world? I don't know about you, but having spent time in the developing world, it seems to be the case that when one travels to places like Pakistan, Haiti, or in your case Germany, things tend to be cheaper.
Latest trading rates - Ravensburg - Baden-Württemberg
Bratwurst 4 - 5 EUR
Glühwein 3 - 3.50 EUR
VAT included
A man from Syria I think is offering Falafel. Quite fitting for a Christmas market I think since the entire Christmas story has happened in a neighbouring area of Syria about 2000 years ago.
While you're in Chicago, you should check out the Zoo Lights at Lincoln Park Zoo, or the Christmas Around The World tree exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry.
Apart from the skyscrapers it seems really authentic!
I will admit though, the Skyscrapers at night made for a VERY unique and fun experience. Beautiful in its own way.
"Cash only" - look it's authentic!
Great Video, it looks veeeeery germanon this market! I think with a little bit snow it looks wonderful!
The Indianapolis area (Carmel) has a really nice christkindlmarkt. Everything is super expensive, so we usually just buy food and wish we could afford the $500 pyramid, but we love going there every year.
The Chicago Christmas market was very expensive, for sure.
my Nephew Wife and Kids live in Carmel,too !
And one other thing, a Bratwurst in a roll isn't known in Germany, but it's an interesting combination.
I rally enjoy your videos! Thank you for sharing your experiences! It's very interesting for me, as a German to get American perspectives! You are such a lovely family! It's so cool that your sister (Ashton's) spells her name the same way I do! I was born and raised in Nuernberg, Germany but moved to Florida 40 years ago. My daughter and I just went to a German Christmas market but it was anything but authentic. We have a lot more hispanic influence in Florida so German authentic food is hard to find. I hope you enjoyed your vacation. Have a happy new year and also congrats on expecting another little boy! All the best to you!
Sieht schon sehr Originär aus. Nicht schlecht. 👍🏾😎 Vile Spaß noch im Weihnachtsamiland. Eine schöne Adventszeit gewünscht. 🎄🌟
Nine bucks for a cup of Glühwein is an absolut rip-off. German sellers charge about half as much and are still making *a lot* of profit. You do not need "imported German Glühwein". Glühwein is based on decent red vine and a lot of spices. Most German sellers use rather inexpensive Italian wine.
It seemed pretty steep to us too. We often make it homemade at home rather than buy the pre-made option. I wasn't opposed to 10 bucks for the first cup (assuming either Pfand or the cost of the mug) but refills were another 9 bucks per glass. Ouch.
That's the fairy tale from a Glühwein Seller becoming a Millionär. 😉
So alcohol vendors pay way way more in the fees for these outside markets. May not be too steep a price considering that and the vendor typically does it for one weekend only. We are German and make our own but being allowed to drink outside is rare in the US and limited so it may be worth it. For 1 drink 😀
definitely expensive. But compared to e.g. a beer at a concert also (unfortunately) kind of normal here. I remember, last summer a beer in Germany was about 4€ (0.5l) and that was expensive... if you go out in Michigan you pay easily $10 (16oz =~0.5l) or on concerts $16(!) for a can
@@ralfbauer9625 on
Gday BFF, or should I say Guten tag seeing I am currently in Germany. Being here and seeing the Christmas markets has certainly been a highlight for me. I would love to have this experience (authentic) in Melbourne, Australia. How great you got to enjoy an authentic German Christmas market in Chicago. As always loved your video. Hope you have an excellent Christmas celebration and sending warm wishes for Christmas and new year to your families .🎄🎄🧑🎄🧑🎄
It really was a lot of fun. We had hoped to have our parents experience the Christmas market in Freiburg a couple of years ago but this was a nice experience until we can have them return in the wintertime once more. They really had a great time.
@@TypeAshton jĺyü⁶
Love it!!!!!!!
For me the most authetic sign was "cash only". Here it seems to be a special treat for Americans to drink alcohol im public.
So nice to see this. Greeting from germany
We lived in the Midwest in the 90s and visited several times. There were no lines to get in then and I bought a few things that I still own, including two Glühwein mugs. It was fun!
I brought my munich-based partner to this when he was visiting me in Chicago, and he was very impressed!
... the "cash only" signs made it a bit more authentic....
So interesting enough, a few places did accept cards - which is a departure from the German Christmas market. But so many Americans use cards for nearly all purchases. We had a little laugh that whom ever owned the ATM machine inside the Christmas market was making a TON of money in fees at that location.
you surely made me hungry!!!!! It all looks soooo delicious, but the prices are insane. It reminds me of german festivals in Tokyo. Right now in Germany a cup of Glühwein costs between 3,50 and 4,00 €. You can buy a bottle in a supermarket for 2€. Anyways, its cool to have this tradition even in Chicago. I would love to come!!!
I thought I was going to see a German Christmas market. I'm more than 5 minutes into the video and all I've seen is you!!
8:02 You forgot to wrap the cup with mulled wine in paper 😂
Is a bit strange to see a small and old fashioned Christmas market between all these massive skyscrapers. But it's nice that the Americans are making some effort with the Christmas markets, maybe / hopefully these Christmas markets will become a bit more popular in the future.
Ganz Ehrlich! Ich habe noch nie Bratwurst mit Sauerkraut im Brötchen gegessen. Keine Ahnung habe das noch nie gesehen.
This looks lovely. We also have similar Christmas Markets here in the UK, and as an expat German it's the one time in the year where I can get proper German food. I kinda wish they'd used the queuing system here as well, as it's a terrible crush everywhere. I think I'd prefer some waiting at the beginning and then have more space once on the market.
That looks amazing. Glad to see there's something like that in the US. As always, your willingness to donate your bodys to sience is admirable. 😂 I'm a bit jealous of your "experiments".
😉
That's a nice lovely Christmas market no doubt about it and for a good quality of food and beverages with a nice taste i have no problem to pay a bit more, think of the costs to organise everything, the people need to get paid and a few things they have to import from Europe and then i think it is okay. The thing is to enjoy it and take a bit of time to do so with the family and friends. The region of Chicago has a long German tradition and it's obvious to do there. It seems you had a lot of fun and that's all that matters.
Nice to see that Germany offer's more than Bavarian Oktoberfest and beer. Rollmops yummy, yummy!!
Wish you lovely second advent.
🕯️🕯️
It really felt like a "local" festival and we were happy to support them. I also appreciated the attention to detail with the small huts and even Aldi was the biggest sponsor.
Thank you for sharing your experience of a German market in Chicago ! Too bad prices are so high that many families with kids won't be able to enjoy much of the traditional food though. Have a great time with your families !
It was such a fun time and we all really enjoyed it!
I am so thankful you sacrificed your bodies to be able to report from the Christmas market! Now I know where I have to go next time in Chicago.
BTW: "Feli from Germany" also went there and explored a little the history of Germans in Chicago.
i watched that video !
What shocked me honestly are all the fish rolls and Döner.I've never seen it at any Christmas market. But also the prices... I really had to take a deep breath.Of course, a 100% original Christmas market will never be feasible in America, but they have tried successfully to get it as good as possible.
I would say that the idea of a Christmas market has evolved a lot in Germany in recent decades. On Christmas markets in bigger cities in Germany it's quite common to see a Döner stand and also a fish stand (if nothing else it's one of the "Nordsee" brand). Probably you'll find a stand with asian food too. And a pizza stand. Someone offering crèpes. The nice thing is that the Christmas markets are often a bit different from town to town. And even many small towns or larger villages have one, sometimes offering something very particular of their place.
It's also worth noting that in some places they were a part of a more common fair offering household items, clothes, tools (particularly knives and scissors and services of sharpening them) etc. too.
@@MichaelBurggraf-gm8vl LOL Danke für die Erklärung.Jetzt weist du warum ich die großen Touri-Märkte meide.Übrigens der Name Nordsee ist mir auch sofort eingefallen als ich die Tafel gesehen hatte.Hab ne schöne Woche und genieße den einen oder anderen traditionellen Weihnachtsmarkt.Liebe Grüße Kelsea
@@MichaelBurggraf-gm8vl Fisch Produkte und Doner Kebab die Beste Highlights im Chicago Markt !
Ah yes. Classic german cheese corn. But honestly looks approveable and really cool that this exists in the states overall :D
It was really neat that they offered this experience. Its our favorite time of year when the Christmas markets open up in Germany.
Try the Christmas market in Fredericksburg, Tx.
Interesting. A Bratwurst in a roll for 10,00 $/€ and a hot mould wine for 10,00 $/€ - nobody in Germany would buy one for that price.
That looked great. Here in atlanta we did have a real german weihnachtsmarkt a while back. German vendors as well. Some of them the same that come to my hometown of schweinfurt in germany. Quite authentic
We had a great time. I think it would be really fun to go visit more markets around the US. Leavenworth, Washington is on our list of places to visit in the future.
Great video again guys. I don’t know whether you noticed that or whether you do it unconsciously but can you call Germany or Freiburg your home as in “it tastes like back home in Germany” several times during the video. I know you bought a house and everything and live here for a long time but it’s still nice to see if you can call in Germany your home. Maybe I am over thinking this but I thought you would still call America your home. anyway, nice to see Christmas markets in the U.S that are authentic
I truly appreciate the sacrifices and self-experimentation you take upon yourselves in the name of science and furthering knowledge.
It has to be commended, nay, lauded and hailed to the utmost. I hope you've recovered from your trials and ordeals by now from your quest of comparison. 😂😂
I know that at least one part of my family's relatives moved from the south of Germany to the general Chicago area and opened a bakery there in the late 19th century. (Shout-out to any long-distance, far removed related Spitz family members, you might know my dad now living in the Taunus region for his love of geneology). So I get where the local propensity for importing something as charming as a Weihnachtsmarkt comes from, especially when some people have traveled back to old country and seen the ones around here.
All of the food looked really good. If they imported the good stuff from Germany only, and left the mediocre or bad stuff back here, then I'd be willing to splurge on a good sausage in a Brötchen, instead of getting what I had last weekend here in Hamburg.
When you said 'Belgian hot chocolate', who the heck cares that it's not German? If we want really good (hot) chocolate here in Germany, we take either Belgian or Swiss hot chocolate as well, so why shouldn't that be authentic? Yeah, yeah, it's a 'German' Christmasmarket, I get it, but still? Who'd want Milka hot chocolate if they could get good Belgian hot chocolate instead? Seeing Jonathan being treated to such a sweet is so sweet (pun intended). But you're going to raise his standards that way; he'll only want the good stuff soon. 😂🤣
In the same way that we have crêpes here on every Weihnachtsmarkt, and it being French, I would still consider it authentic for a German one as well. Sure, we acknowledge it as French, but it's not about being originally from Germany, but from one our good neighbors, bringing the best they could offer, making a dark, cold, often dreary time much more pleasant.
Hi hi hi... traditional German "cash only" 🙂
Well, at least one lady in the organisation commitee of the Chicago Christkindlmarkt is originally from Germany, and her parents (whom I know personally) live in the same town as I.
Nice booths by the way.
Really, really beautiful.
That definitely is expensive in german terms but I think american bars selling alcohol are just as expensive in big cities? It looked really authentic so thats a plus. I wish they'd have one here in South Carolina lol I'd love to take my parents if they did. I am kinda sad that I didnt make it to europe on time for christmas markets I'll probably be going sometime in January. I wasnt comfortable flying in the middle of December.
Funny americans,, you have Santa Claus (who is coming the 6th of December in Germany and is the "christmas" in Dutch) coming the 24th, and you create a Christkindlsmarket in USA :D
Out of Strassbourg in France, all Christmas markets are not intristing... But this one in USA seams a good balance of shops, eat and glühwein :D
I think a couple of times the Christmas market in Épinal has been recommended to me. Unfortunaltely I couldn't get there until now.
the sign says "cash only". I couldn't get more authentic than that ;-) (not the sign but the fact)
Without the building in the background and all the english signs with $ prices, could have been just some christmas market anywhere in Germany, looks very point on for a more simple market.
I grew up in NW Indiana but never made it to the Christmas Market. Looks like I need to change that!
I highly recommend visiting. It was a LOT of fun.
Glühwein - as I saw in Cologne - the Chicago Glühwein seems to be nearly twice as much.
We had the same observation. It is about twice the price of a cup in Freiburg as well.
I had been working in 161 N. Clark in Dec 2016. That is just no 100m (sorry German here) from an entrance. I used to to check out the one or other "German" stuff then and tbh although there is quite some really tasty "Pretzel" and even "Gluhwein", but it is not the same... But anyway - it is an amazing place to be (the whole city is) and I look forward to visit again.
There are for sure several topics to discus critical about live in the US - e.g. Those hoards of homeless people. But for those, who can afford it, it is an awesome, even magical place to be.
'hoards of homeless.' ? you're so naive.!,,,they like it that way and don't want to be bothered...they refuse help !
typical german christmas market is with timberd houses
Just to let you know if you’re gonna be near Philly there is a Christmas market there.
I lived in Chicago for 7 years and loved the Christmas market. I assumed it was not authentic as I am from central Florida (land of realistic looking fake things) until I visited it with a coworker from Hamburg who said it seemed authentic to her.
I later visited her in Hamburg at Christmas and got the authentic experience. Aside from the... loud, bright party atmosphere at the one located in an area of town one may not normally associate with Christmas, the biggest differences I noticed were price and how much more intertwined many of the German markets were with the city. I think this is primarily because the organizers have to make sure people don't leave with their alcoholic beverages as those people would be breaking the law.
Now I live in England and can go to nice Christmas markets not too far away while freely wandering with my mulled wine, and it is probably my favorite part of Christmas!
Well if the majority is from Germany, new or long settled but still conect to the Fatherland, than it should be german as expected. Thankfully! Thanks for that video. That was an interesting insight of a german christmas market in the USA 🙂I did not know Christmas market are anywhere in the US. It seems American enjoy this market 👍Altough 10 Dollars for a cup of Glühwein, yeah.
Beer prices were ridiculous at Milwaukee’s Germanfest this summer as well. 12 ounce beer in a plastic cup was $9, all domestically brewed, no imports. Gruß aus Wisconsin!
oooof. That's nearly airport prices. We stopped at the Schlafly tap room in Lambert Airport in STL before heading out and beers were 10 bucks a piece.
Sweet home Chicago... muddy...
Moin Moin , ja ich kenn diesen Weihnachtsmarkt durch Feli die Deutsche die in Philadelphia wohnt und arbeitet und ein UA-cam-Kanal hat . Sie hat ein Video sogar mit dem Botschafter der Deutschen Botschaft die auch in Chicago besteht , mit einen Interview über diesen Weihnachtsmarkt gemacht . Sehr interessant und Erkenntnisreich was mein Wissen sich dadurch erweitert hat .Einen schönen 2.Advent wünsch ich der "Black Forrest Family" aus dem Nordwesten Deutschlands ............
Nach Felis Videos soll Chicago auch eine relativ grosse deutsche Community haben mit einigen deutschen Schulen.
Feli wohnt nicht in Phili,sondern in Cincinnati.Mit dem Rest hast du aber Recht.
@@Kelsea-2002 sie hatte aber damals ein Video über Chicago gemacht und darauf hatte ich mich bezogen.
@@Kelsea-2002 sorry war echt mein Fehler , hast natürlich Recht .🙂
I know the sign should probably read „Bavarian Workshop“. But with that font it reads to me like „Babarian Workshop“. And that‘s not a fair description of our southern state. 😉
I see that there are 3 locations, which is the best of the 3?
Many of the stalls were imported from Germany.
The prices are the wurst.
Getting my coat...
😂😂😂😂😂
It’s not really surprising that Midwest would have major Christmas Markets, considering that many in that area have German ancestry.
As a University of Michigan graduate, I noticed that German is also very popular for students to learn to finish their foreign/classical language requirements (although Spanish learners still outnumber the German learners). In fact at the high school level, German is more readily offered in Midwest than on the coasts. My high school in Massachusetts did not offer German, so I had to learn it for the first time in college.
'Cash only' sign on one of the booth. I confirm that this Christmas maket is genuine and authentic German. 😉
hahah YES - and whomever owned and operated the ATM inside of the market made a LARGE profit, for sure.
Döner for $15 while it is 5€ in Germany, same with Glühwein and so on. Why is everything 2-3 times as expensive as in Germany? I saw a similar trend in normal restaurants and prices in general. Is the currency exchage rate really that messed up? Should it be 0.5:1 instead of 1:1? How am I as a German supposed to afford a vacation in the USA?
a good doner kebab costs 8 euros in Germany, the cheaper variant is probably a minced meat skewer
@@Habakuk_ In my region 5€ is very normal for a good quality Döner, no excessive minced meat required. They wouldn't even be allowed to call it Döner with more than 40% minced meat.
@@jimhalpert9421 also für 5 euro kann ich mir das fast nicht vorstellen
@@Habakuk_ Bis vor ca. 1 Jahr waren es stadtweit sogar nur 4 Euro. Und ja, ich bin sicher, dass es keine reinen Hackfleisch-Spieße sind. Ist halt keine Großstadt.
@@jimhalpert9421 jeden das seine sowas würde ich bestimmt nicht essen. Früher galt die Fausregel für einen guten Döner 5 Euro und zwar vor der Infaltion.
I'm wondering about the sausages. Do you really eat them with Sauerkraut in Freiburg? Or is this an American addition?
From the comments of others it sounds like it occurs sometimes in Bavaria. But to be honest, I think the sauerkraut on the bratwurst is more common in American-German Restaurants.
I'm curious, how does that work? Do the exhibitors simply come from Germany to the USA and are allowed to work there and sell their goods? I know that it is difficult to export food to the USA, so I can hardly believe that the mulled wine or bratwurst originally comes from Germany.
Great question - and one I am not 100% sure of the answer to. I think there is a mixture of vendors from each location and some vendors who are "originally" from that area but have immigrated to the US. For example, the vendor selling bratwurst was from Dresden (a really nice guy that we got to chat with in German!) but now lives in Aurora, Illinois.
I would wager that many of the ingredients are from German-American butchers or other establishments in the US. However, I did see the boxes of Glühwein in the back of the stand and its a popular brand that you can find here from Nürnberg.
Maybe also relationships. There is a German-American club in Chicago. Feli from Germany made a video about it and interviewed the president of the club.
You have to pay to go in and pay higher prices 😮
Hello Ashton, hello Jonathan, happy Sunday and 2nd Advent.
To be honest, I think you can not compare an american Christmas Marketing to one in Germany, especially the once in smaller cities or the one in Ravenne George.
Thanks again for donating your bodies to science. Best regards Ralf
Hi Ralf! Happy Sunday. The organizers work closely with the organizers of the Nuremberg market to make it as Authentic as possible. And it should be mentioned that the market in Chicago now has three locations (although the one in Daley plaza as shown is the original)
Hi, that's a good and fair point.
It's Just my personal preference that I like the cristmas market in smaller villages more. Even that one in Nuremberg is too big and crowed for me because I feel really uncomfortable with so many people at one place.
Visit these restaurants, not during the Christmas market, the prices will be 50% lower.
We were there Thanksgiving week. I give it 4/10. The food is very good. But Chicago is expensive just like the rest of USA. The glu wein is imported from Nuremberg in a box, I saw them pour it in the metal dispensers. My main complaint is that not all of the items for sale are authentic from Germany. They are made in China, Egypt, or elsewhere. I have been to the Market in Nurnberg, this does not compare. Better than nothing, I suppose. Stay away from the Suburban market (Aurora) and only visit Chicago downtown or Wrigleyville.
Yes, but I would also say that in many Christmas markets in Germany also have the same phenomenon. While some of the vendors do sell authentic, homemade/craftsman goods there are also a good number of vendors selling items that are imported elsewhere and mass produced. And I totally agree, its not Nürnberg, but I really appreciated that they are trying to get the Christmas market vibe going in the States. Its one of our favorite places to be in the wintertime.
Is it authentic to have sauerkraut on a Hot Dog / Bratwurst in Freiburg?
I would say that apart from painted Easter eggs and chocolate Easter bunnies anything can be authentic on todays Christmas markets 😄
(... but then what do I know about that ...)
Normally ours here come with or without grilled onions. But from comments from others, the sauerkraut on the bratwurst is found sometimes in Bavaria.
@@TypeAshton that’s what I thought. I once was asked to have sauerkraut on a ‘German’ bratwurst bread roll in London and I asked all my colleagues, relatives and friends, if they have ever heard about it being a ‘German’ thingy. But it absolutely isn’t.
Putting sauerkraut into a bun will turn the bread into a muddy mass and will remove the flavor from the bread. Hence it's not really common. However we like a dish of sauerkraut with schupfnudeln/bubaspitzle fried together in a pan with little pieces of bacon. At least in Baden-Württemberg it's probably sold on very Christmas market. Schupfnudeln are rather thick noodles - bigger than spätzle - typical of south-west Germany.
What struck me as the biggest difference to Christmas markets in Germany? All the SPACE! I don’t believe you will ever find a Christmas market here that has so much space between and around the stands and tables. America just has a lot more real estate.
There was quite a bit of space to get around! However, towards the end of our visit there was quite the crowd growing in Daly plaza, we were still nearly should to shoulder at some points.
That's exactly how I got an American (!!!) Christmas market presented in these times.Profit counts!Everything that is somehow German, or at least similar, embark cheaply in large containers and sell at horrendous prices.Sorry; but this insane commercial hustle and bustle has nothing in common with a traditional and German Christmas market.
Lot of German people live in and around Chicago and across the mid west
Yes it is really interesting to us as both Jonathan and I have German family heritage that follows this immigration pattern to the midwest.
@@TypeAshton you guys are so welcome more of you and Germany is going to be a way better place than it is now
Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you guys
Greetings from Cologne Germany
@@TypeAshton because about 150 years ago many Germans left their homeland to start a new life in America.
Napa Valley was invented by germans for example and in Wisconsin Germans invented the Farm Economy for whats its famous now and in Indiana,Illinois ,Missouri Kansas,Idaho,Iowa and Dakota and Texas as well many Germans settled down about 40% of all US Americans got german Blood and Heritage
Is it allowed by law to drink alcohol at this market, because in public?
They have a special permit which allows it. But that is also part of the reason why they have to have barriers and a clearly defined area (with signage) saying where it is legal to drink.
Why is there a line ?!?
Does one have to pay to get in?
I have just wondered the same…
It's free entry, just a whole lot of excited people cueing up to enter when they open at 11 am each morning.
When there’s a seasonal event like this, people are going to show up! Hence the line.
@@TypeAshton Is there only 1 entry point ?
You know there will hardly ever be lines at a German Weihnachtsmarkt bc they are ( the vast majority that is ) typically accesible from many streets and there is no one controling/checking anything....
@@corpi8784 You do remember that 'Murica has open container laws? You cannot just roam around with alcohol in an open container so the market has to be cordoned off. So aye, there is only one entry to the 'open air' Christmas market.
Sauerkraut on a Bratwurst in a bun? 😬
hahaha I know, I know. An interesting addition but one, I would say, that is pretty "typical" in American-German restaurants.
AFAIK only Nürnberger Rostbratwürstchen are typically combined with Sauerkraut
Authentic German pretzels ar made by dipping the raw dough into lye before baking. IIRC, using lye for food processing is illegal in America, so you probably won't find authentic pretzels at that market. Did I miss that part in the video or did you not get any?
The Milwaukee Pretzel Company makes a great Bavarian pretzel! Online ordering available.
Hey,
Just saw your video with Lauren. Here's an idea, what do you make of it?
Friendliness in German culture is connected to intimacy. You are only FRIENDly to your friends. To other people you are supposed to be polite. Politeness means to have a helpful attitude to someone while keeping your distance, while not getting personal.
In American culture there is no concept of politeness. Instead, friendliness has been made a virtue. In other words: in American culture everyone deserves to be treated in a friendly manner, not only your friends.
Friendliness being an indicator for intimacy - and not a virtue - in German culture creates the misunderstanding of Americans being superficial, fake, shallow. No one can be friends with everyone obviously, so why indicate you are friends with everyone?
Naturally, in American culture there also must be indicators for intimacy, but I never figured them out. Some other than friendliness obviously. If you think this all makes sense, would you do me a favour and tell me what these intimacy indicators for intimacy are?
1 Glühwein for 10$ including the mug sounds fine. 9$ for the refill is the shocking part.
Looking at the food: 10$ for 2 sausages is not cheap but also not over the top. Even if they are the smaller version of a bratwurst.
Yeah we were all quite shocked at the prices. Just like we mentioned in the video, we had just been at the Freiberger Weihnachtsmarkt two days prior and paid only 5 euros for a pepper bratwurst and 4-5 euros for a refill of Glühwein. I know there is probably a small markup for importing ingredients, but double seemed very, very expensive.
I've already seen 9 euros in Germany but with the prices I prefer to make it myself :)
Ah...so much suffering for science 😂👍
Hahaha happy to do it! 🥨😂😉
@@TypeAshton I think that's called a "science schlemm" 😃
if they worked with the christmas market in Nürnberg, no wonder there are so many booths which just sell (non-food) stuff. The Christmas market in Nürnberg is famous, but for me it was a huge disappointment. For me a christmas market is all about the food booths, but Nürnberg is all about selling their useless kitsch.
That's interesting! I would say that in the Freiburg market is is probably 1/3 food, and 2/3s goods.
Oh Boy!! You guys really have to suffer for us.
Great video and the Markt looked really very, very good. A lot of diversity and different German and European stuff to choose from which you don't get in the local Weihnachtsmarkt.