Christmas Village, 2010. (courtesy Kara Boutselis) It was December 12, 2009. The trains were backed up, and my friends and I had been waiting for over an hour for the R5 to Center City. As we waited in Narberth, another one of my friends waited in Ardmore by herself, and planned to meet us on the train. After a few phone calls back and forth, she had great news: the train was coming! Soon, we could hear the faint whistle of the train heading down the tracks to save us from the frigid December weather. But it didn’t stop. Instead, the train zoomed on by at lightening speed. That could only mean one thing: it was an Amtrak train. My phone started to buzz. “Kara, I got on the wrong train. I think it’s taking me to New York. Help.” Uh oh. My friend had made a rookie mistake; she had gotten on the $100 per ticket Amtrak train, with a destination to New York instead of the local Septa. Luckily for her, it made one stop before heading to New York, 30th Street Station. Unluckily for her, it seemed as though the SEPTA trains were indefinitely backed up and she would be stranded for some time. We knew that we had to save our friend and so instead heading home, we waited for the next train. And waited. And waited some more. Two hours later, we saw a train. This time there was no question, it was stopping for us. We got on and I called my friend with the good news, we were finally coming to “rescue” her. Once the train stopped at 30th Street, a few of us hopped off and searched the platform. A few seconds later, Seventeen Magazine in hand, we found our lost friend Darby.
Finally, we got off the train at Suburban Station, but City Hall looked…different. Right before my eyes was an enormous Christmas tree surrounded by little shops. It was the first time that I had come into contact with the Christmas Village.
The “Village” is a German Christmas Market that opens up shop in front of City Hall every holiday season from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve. With over fifty vendors one can buy just about anything, making it the perfect place to buy gifts for the holiday season. This year I decided to return, and two burnt crepes, a few pigeon attacks, many wrong turns later, I think I’ve got a handle on the Christmas Village.
When my friend Sophie and I first arrived, we were disappointed. There was no music playing, many of the shops were not even open, and there certainly was not much Christmas spirit—not a great foundation for a Merionite article. But we stuck around for an hour or so and the place started to come alive. From out of nowhere a group of performers dressed in Dickens attire appeared, someone turned the Christmas music on and a quinceañera party arrived. More vendors showed up and then we began to see what the Christmas Village was all about.
From jewelry, to bratwurst, waffles to stained glass, the village has a little bit of everything. As I walked around, I saw the strangest array of vendors. There were booths that sold dog treats, others that sold nail polish, and of course, there were ornaments galore. Although it is a German Market, the Christmas Village is actually home to numerous different cultures, with goods from Nicaragua, Mexico, Russia, Nepal, France, Morocco, India and Italy. This is the type of crazy assortment that you can only find in Philadelphia.
If you’re looking for a holiday cheer that is a bit out of the ordinary, then this is the place to be. You’ll have the opportunity to see some incredible artwork, and maybe even try some bratwurst or a strudel. My words of advice: go on a late Saturday afternoon, when the village is in full swing. As it gets darker the village will light up and certainly get you in the mood for Christmas. Philadelphia may be ours to call home, but it’s still fun to be a tourist in your own city every once in a while. Take the train, and either on the way to or from the village, stop by the Comcast Center and check out the light show. Then head over to Macy’s Christmas Light Show, a family tradition for the past fifty-five years, to see which you prefer. If you are really looking for a good time, I’d splurge and ride in style, take a horse drawn carriage ride around the city to see all of the lights.
No matter what religion, there is not better time than the holiday season. We are fortunate enough to live just minutes from Philadelphia, a city with so much to offer, especially during this time of year. So if you can get away from the APUSH notes, French project, or English essay for a few hours, take a trip downtown and get ready for the holidays.
