The oldest Christmas markets in Germany are over 600 years old. The most famous, in the city of Nuremberg, has been running every year since at least the 1620s. Towns all over Germany set up their own markets in the main square during the four weeks before Christmas.
The stalls are little wooden huts with steep snowy roofs. Each one is set up just for the few weeks of the market and then packed away again. Some sell food - bratwurst (sausages), gingerbread hearts, sugared almonds, hot apple punch. Others sell tiny handmade decorations, wooden toys and Christmas tree ornaments shaped like stars.
Christmas markets have spread far beyond Germany. London, Paris, New York, Tokyo and many other cities now have their own. If you have ever been to a Christmas market in your own country, the idea probably travelled from a German one. Some German towns even send their wooden huts and decorations abroad each year to set up 'sister' markets.
In many German towns, opening day is a huge event. A choir sings, the mayor flicks a switch and thousands of lights come on at the same time. There is often a giant Christmas tree in the middle of the square. Children look for the tower made of wooden 'pyramids' that spin slowly when warm air rises through them - powered by little candles.