Holiday cheer: Residents celebrate Christmas at German embassy bazaar

Fairy lights, buntings, Christmas trees bring in the aura of festivity

ISLAMABAD: In palpable holiday cheer, a Christmas bazaar at the German embassy attracted a sizable crowd of both diplomats and local residents on Friday.

The day-long affair featured food and crafts stalls with Christmas carols emanating from the venue in the crispy winter weather.

Adorned with fairy lights, buntings and accessories such as Christmas trees, balloons, leafy chandeliers and silver cones, the bazaar exuded a warmly festive aura. Children enjoyed games and painting in a special enclosure while adults stocked up for Christmas presents at the stalls.

A rather underfed Santa Clause roamed the bazaar, warming up to children and playing with them.



Other than Christmas-related items, some local artisans and vendors had displayed their crafts to target a wider audience. Truck art products, wood and brass decorations, hand-painted ceramics and hand-embroidered paraphernalia were some of the attractions at the bazaar.

Food stalls were easily the highlight of the occasion, with many food-enthusiasts lingering around the stalls to devour seekh kababs, sausages, pretzels and various dessert delights from Germany.

The aroma of freshly-grilled meat and bread from the food stalls had many queuing up for a second or third helping.

“Christmas bazaars are an important part of the culture in Germany,” said first secretary and head of the press and cultural section of the German embassy, Dr Dan Tidten, adding that such bazaars help a lot to enjoy the spirit of Christmas all over the country.



He explained the commercial event was not for profit, saying the proceeds generated would be donated to charity as they had been last year. Moreover, he said the annual Christmas bazaar has been growing each year.

He explained that the event was not for profit and the proceeds generated would go to charity like they had last year, adding that the Christmas bazaar which has become an annual event had been growing every year.

Though steeply-priced, the crafts on display were a mechanism to raise charity to be donated by the embassy and its partners. Last year, the money was donated to a leprosy hospital in Rawalpindi, Mashal Model School in Bari Imam, Waldein Memorial Free Eye Hospital in Daiwal and St Joseph Hospice in Rawalpindi.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2014.