| Driving Holiday |
Christmas celebrations around the worldAs part of the annual Christmas celebrations in the Austrian capital, the city of Vienna comes alive in the dark of a cold and frosty evening with its traditional markets. In fact, as the year winds down and the festive season gets into full swing, there's no better place to be than out on the streets with friends or family, munching into some spiced gingerbread, indulging with chocolate-coated strawberries, or drinking a warming cup of berry or orange punch, or even the famed hot mulled wine. While the Rathaus (Town Hall) and Karlsplatz markets are perhaps the best known, and the Schronburg and Maria Theresien Platz markets are renowned for their craftsmanship and innovative approach to Christmas cheer, there's always something to see at the other Christkindlmarkts (Christ Child Markets) all around town! For starters, there's the magnificent and palatial setting of the markets on the grounds of the Belvedere palace, but even the stunning surrounds and Christmas tree trinkets are certainly not enough to keep everyone occupied! A winner for the kids is the market's annual exhibition, contributed by artists from local primary schools, shedding a little bit of light on exactly how Santa Claus manages to achieve his mammoth task of delivering gifts and goodies to all those girls and boys around the world who have been behaving in an exemplary manner for the year gone by. For instance, according to the imaginations of the Austrian school children, Santa Claus was painted as arriving in red t-shirt and shorts on a boat to the kangaroo-lined shores of Australia, and being greeted by happy families with picnic rugs and barbeques. Santa Claus in the United States was by far the most interesting, as the paintings depicted him driving from coast to coast in a bright red Cadillac, a trunk-load of presents weighing down the back of the vehicle! I couldn't help but smile when I saw that, it reminded me of an annual family driving holiday, only this time it was Santa in the driver's seat, with Mrs. Claus reading the map and trying to figure out the best way to their destination, and the elves in the back seat – no doubt asking in chorus "Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" It made me wonder as well, when they'd finished their USA vacation, if then they'd continue on up north for a Canada vacation, or if considering all the snow, it was then better to swap back to the reindeer and sleigh! |
|
||
|
