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EveryParampara

Traditions of Strasbourg

A half-timbered city on the Rhine, home of the oldest Christmas market in France and Alsatian wine and storks.

Strasbourg lies on the border of France and Germany, and its culture blends both. The Christmas market, the Christkindelsmärik, has been held since 1570 and is one of the oldest in Europe. The stork is a symbol of Alsace, and the region has its own dialect, food and costume.

Strasbourg: Strasbourg, France. Medieval bridge Ponts Couverts, and Cathedral in the background.
Photo: Radek Kucharski, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Christmas and the Alsatian costume

In December, stalls beneath a huge decorated tree sell bredele, small Christmas cookies, mulled wine, and gingerbread. Alsatian women's costumes feature a black ribbon bow of large size. In the villages, the Saint Nicholas procession on 6 December features the saint and his companion Hans Trapp.

At the table

Choucroute garnie, sauerkraut with sausage and pork, baeckeoffe, a meat and potato casserole, and flammekueche, a thin tart with onions and bacon, are Alsatian dishes. Kougelhopf is a yeasted cake, and white wines such as Riesling and Gewürztraminer are served.

Signature traditions of Strasbourg

Also part of it, and being written: Strasbourg Christmas market (The oldest market.), Choucroute (The Alsatian dish.), Flammekueche (The tart.), Bredele (The Christmas biscuits.).

A trail idea for Strasbourg

  1. Petite France Walk the canals.
  2. Strasbourg Cathedral See the astronomical clock.
  3. Christmas market Visit in December.
About this page

Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, markets and festival dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

KindSpiritualFestivalRite of passageTable customSeasonalDressPerformanceEtiquetteCraftGameFolkloreHomeCeremony
MealBreakfastLunchDinnerSupperTea-time and snacking customsTea, coffee and drinking ceremoniesSweets given and sharedFeasts and festival mealsFasting and breaking the fast
🇩🇪 Nuremberg, Germany and 5 moreChristmas marketWeihnachtsmarkt A seasonal street market held during Advent in German-speaking regions and beyond, featuring stalls, food, and crafts.Festival · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies 🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreDay of Salvation and Liberationיום השחרור וההצלה A Jewish holiday on the 26th of Iyar to thank God for saving Jews from Nazi annihilation.Festival

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

The weekly EveryParampara

Every week: one tradition from somewhere new, what is being celebrated around the world this week, and one idea explained.