Personally, I think Russian nesting dolls are really full of themselves.
A crowd had gathered.
After all, this was Chicago’s Christkindlmarket. THE holiday-happening place for handcrafted gifts and ornaments; for one German “Christ-child” responsible for a European tradition of holiday gift giving; for thousands of shoppers like me (and my sister, Lynda) looking for some Old World charm in the middle of the 21st century.
So, what do Russian nesting dolls have to do with Christkindl?
After all, this was Chicago’s Christkindlmarket. THE holiday-happening place for handcrafted gifts and ornaments; for one German “Christ-child” responsible for a European tradition of holiday gift giving; for thousands of shoppers like me (and my sister, Lynda) looking for some Old World charm in the middle of the 21st century.
So, what do Russian nesting dolls have to do with Christkindl?
For somebody with so much to hide, they certainly are the epitome of innocence.
Your guess is as good as mine.
Then again, Christkindl was a bit of a mystery, too, at least before today’s post (and before discovering Steve Johnson's enlightening Chicago Tribune article, "10 things to Know About Christkindlmarket.")
I had no idea Martin Luther (remember the Protestant Reformation?) promulgated the German tradition of a Christ-child (at least in Germany and Central Europe) to replace the traditional catholic St. Nicholas behind all the secular holiday gift giving.
I can tell you that the matryoshkas, the colorful queens of clone available from a Toronto company (go figure) called Gifts from Eastern Europe, just kept bringing on the charm with each recursion of that cherub face and peasant attire; so much charm that I walked away with three Russian nesting dolls, one for each of my youngest grandchildren. I parted with a chunk of change in less time that it took to babble ‘babushka’ three times.
Then again, Christkindl was a bit of a mystery, too, at least before today’s post (and before discovering Steve Johnson's enlightening Chicago Tribune article, "10 things to Know About Christkindlmarket.")
I had no idea Martin Luther (remember the Protestant Reformation?) promulgated the German tradition of a Christ-child (at least in Germany and Central Europe) to replace the traditional catholic St. Nicholas behind all the secular holiday gift giving.
I can tell you that the matryoshkas, the colorful queens of clone available from a Toronto company (go figure) called Gifts from Eastern Europe, just kept bringing on the charm with each recursion of that cherub face and peasant attire; so much charm that I walked away with three Russian nesting dolls, one for each of my youngest grandchildren. I parted with a chunk of change in less time that it took to babble ‘babushka’ three times.
Nuremberg, Germany via stops in Toronto and Chicago.
Lynda quickly followed suit, her take away a Santa almost 12 inches tall (with all his little elves neatly nested inside) that left my big sister muttering ‘babushka’ the rest of the afternoon.
Would you believe in all the excitement I forgot to take pictures of our dolls! Happens every time I spend money.
Would you believe in all the excitement I forgot to take pictures of our dolls! Happens every time I spend money.
Except for Christkindlmarket's first year in 1996, the Chicago holiday festival has happened in Daley Plaza.
Under the watchful eye of Picasso (actually, under the watchful eye of a large, untitled Picasso sculpture the artist gifted the City of Chicago in 1967), we wandered Daley Plaza for several hours perusing all 56 vendors offering one version or another of holiday magic wrapped in Old World Charm.
The magic even included a bratwurst with sauerkraut; some German chocolates for me, a strudel for Lynda, apple cider all around; all very tastefully charming.
 Yum. |  Yum. |
The best part of Christkindlmarket – the holiday memories shared with my sister. We're two Old School charmers with a love for gift giving.
No distractions, a.k.a. shopping at Chicago's "Bean" earlier that morning, hence the selfie.
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