(TAN): Following a surge of Covid-19 cases in the country, the German city of Nuremberg has cancelled its world-renowned Christmas market, said media reports. The pandemic has already forced a number of other German cities, including Berlin, Dusseldorf and Cologne, to scrap or severely curtail their Christmas markets.
“After much deliberation and in order to protect the population, we have come to the conclusion that the Christmas market will not take place this year,” Nuremberg mayor Marcus Koenig said in a statement.
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Germany is home to some 2,500 Christmas markets each year that are popular with visitors who come to sip mulled wine, nibble on roasted chestnuts and shop for seasonal trinkets among clusters of wooden chalets. Nuremberg’s “Christkindlesmarkt”, famous for its “Christkind” Christmas gift bringer dressed in a golden crown and robes, is one of the oldest Christmas markets in the world and the oldest in the country.
The market that attracts more than two million visitors annually, is cancelled for the first time since World War II. The beautiful market came into existence in 1628. During Christmas, it transforms into a pretty small village lined with wooden stalls decorated in red and white. Every shop in the market has something unique to offer, from handicrafts and gifts to treats and more.
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Germany has seen a surge in Covid-19 cases over the past week and regularly reported more than 10,000 new cases a day. Chancellor Angela Merkel recently made a fresh plea to the citizens to limit their contacts and avoid unnecessary travel to prevent further transmission of the virus.
“How the winter will go, how our Christmas will be, all that will be decided in the coming days and weeks,” Merkel was quoted as saying by the media. She acknowledged that the curbs are “not only difficult but also a painful sacrifice”.
