Christmas Markets in Haarlem, Netherlands

This past weekend, December 14 and 15, 2013, Andrew and I spent in our hometown of Haarlem. We decided to stick close to home because there was so much going on in town.

Saturday we walked around town and enjoyed the feeling of excitement in the air with the pending events of the weekend!

Sunday, we enjoyed the festivities while walking through town.....The Christmas Market was open all day!

First off, we were greeted by "Angels"  from Hout Zuid Haarlem!

 We continued down the Grote Houtstraat:

 entertainment....Haarlem style!

 We went home for some lunch and to rest up a bit before going out again!

 There was a choir performing Christmas carols in the Stadhuid (City Hall)......the acoustics made the music sound soooo beautiful!

 More singing!

 We stopped to get a tree on the bridge over the canal...and then we carried it home!

Our reflection.....carrying our tree home!!!

After we dropped off our tree at home...we walked back into town and saw.......The Haarlemse Muggen:

Haarlemse muggen (Haarlem mosquitoes)
Inhabitants of Haarlem are sometimes jokingly called ‘muggen’ (mosquitoes). It is not exactly clear where this originated from, the word ‘mug’, however, was used as a swearword in the 14^th and 15^th century. Another theory is that it originated from the fact that there used to be a lot of mosquitoes in Haarlem. Other explanations are that Haarlem inhabitants were known for their ‘muggenziften’ (nit-picking) or refer to a saga about a witch who would supposedly transform the inhabitants of the city into mosquitoes if they did not listen to her.

More entertainment!

Real reindeer!

 We went by the Havana House Cigar Shop where they were doing old fashioned shaves....

 There was a sword fighting performance!

 and afterwards, Andrew stepped inside for a smoke with the Mayor (Burgemeester Schneider)!

 It starts getting dark around 15.30hrs. now....soooo, the lights went on early!
More entertainment.....the young man on the right was playing bass with a rope attached to a tub!

and another band playing down the street....

Sausage made from horse meat....