For some, the Christmas season is a time to shamelessly blare Bing Crosby’s holiday hits, root out that bright red, snowflake-adorned jumper and get the hot chocolate flowing. For others, a more refined approach comes in the form of exploring Dublin’s Christmas markets, whether it be the Designer Dublin Christmas Market or the Arnott’s Festive Flavours Market. There are also certain quirkier numbers such as Fusion Sundays’ International Christmas Market and the Poetry Ireland pop-up shop – a personal favourite of mine, as a typical English literature student. For these people, there is nothing better at capturing the spirit of the festive season than attending a Christmas market.
Christmas markets are an enduring international phenomenon that have inevitably reached Dublin, and the capital has taken them on with impressive enthusiasm. Our brief history with the tradition does not stop us from playing host to many incredibly varied markets. Looking beyond the artisan mince pies and mulled wine reveals, however, one can see the tremendous efforts that these gatherings require, and why they prove thoroughly irresistible every year. What lies at the heart of these festive markets is a real sense of community. They are defined by their diversity and inclusivity, welcoming stalls from all over the world and people from all walks of life. Christmas markets have a beautiful ability to unify the hoards of visitors they receive by harnessing the often underestimated power of festive spirit.
There is an incredible variety of Christmas markets in Dublin. There are annual classics such as the markets in the Phoenix Park and Smithfield Square. The latter has the extra charm of being a nighttime market, proving, as always, that everything looks infinitely better when draped in fairy lights. The Docklands, the RDS and Custom House Square all play host to some larger scale markets. These larger affairs are guaranteed to cover extensive festive ground, perfect for day trips as well as some unique Christmas shopping. The National Botanic Gardens’ Christmas market is another popular choice to fulfil the Christmas market needs of the masses, with the beautiful backdrop of the flora and fauna in the gardens giving this market an added edge.
My foray into the wonderful world of Dublin’s Christmas markets led me straight to the annual Christmas market in the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin. I was immediately struck by what seems to be the five pillars of any Christmas market: variety, family, art, food and sheer passion. I got talking to a lot of stall owners as they prepared to sell their wares to find out a bit more about their work and what brought them back year on year. The sun was shining on a crisp December morning,and my nose led me to Damien Kelly and his Cupcake Store. Kelly was on hand setting up his wife’s beautiful and delectable cupcake creations. The Cupcake Store is, like so many of these stands, a business that is powered by a family working together. Each stall is almost like an extension of a family home, opened up for a day to the public. Kelly told me that he loves the market at the Botanic Gardens. “It’s particularly nice”, he said, because he gets “to see so many of the same faces year on year”, and a warm and welcoming sense community has developed.
As I strolled among the stalls, fighting the urge to buy a treat from every stall, I was drawn to Ethna Bia Deas, run by Ethna Higgins. At the stand, Higgins’s proud husband took it upon himself to show off his wife’s culinary creations. The pair had everything from chutney to rocky road to Christmas cake on display, with a special section at their stalls for the creative output of their daughters. Higgins’s stall was a real family affair: “This Botanics one is more accessible for us smaller businesses”, she noted in reference to the €20 entry fee for the market at the Botanic Gardens compared to the standard €40 or €50 required by many others.
Amid the inevitable hustle and bustle of this popular market I was astounded by the array of creations amongst the arts and crafts. Glass, marble, granite, dried flowers, moss, teaspoons, ceramics and wood are only some of the materials featured. I encountered Ciaran Reynolds’s woodturning stall with delight. He displayed bowls, plates, sculptures and, of course, Christmas decorations, all made from wood. Reynolds has extended his day job as a woodwork teacher to develop an artistic hobby. He uses woodturning as more than a pastime – for him it is his way to achieve mindfulness. Reynolds prides himself on using all-Irish woods that are sustainably felled, and some of his pieces at the Botanic Gardens were actually made from trees that once stood in the gardens. Reynolds himself is a local and so feels very relaxed in his surroundings, he feels the “setting is special”.
Another stall, Frances Brosnan Ceramics, was born of a truly inspiring story. Brosnan lost her job in 2006 and, having made the decision not to search for another office job, she decided not to spend her life “just sitting at a computer everyday any more”. She embarked on a journey of re-education which led her to an honours degree in ceramics. Brosnan’s artwork gave her a new purpose in life. She says she simply can’t resist the Botanic Gardens’s market because of its stunning location. Brosnan’s work embodies the family atmosphere of the stalls of Christmas markets, with her grand-niece Moira coming along with her to the Botanic Gardens to help. Brosnan’s arts and crafts now span across generations in her family, her infectious passion reaching everyone around her.
Many of the stalls at this bazaar were impressive in their originality. Ivy Glenn Designs was a favourite stall of mine. It is an artistic endeavour helmed by Glenn Keelan and his partner Aiva Veinberga. The pair work with wood, dried flowers and wool to create beautiful and intricate pieces of art. Their brooches are colourful and quirky, and their wool comes from Veinberga’s family sheep farm in Latvia. However, the stand-out pieces are their woodland fairy range. The pair had a handmade fairy dwelling of moss, leaves, twigs and flowers on display, and it’s here where I finally caved. Feeling proud of myself for lasting so long without buying anything, I finally gave in to the hopeless romantic in me. I left with four fairies made of dried petals, and while I have no real use for them, I have no regrets either.
This excursion into the Botanic Gardens’s market left me eager to learn more about other Christmas markets throughout Dublin. Speaking to The University Times , Nadja Cassidy, of the Fusion Christmas market, was eager to express her enthusiasm for Dublin Christmas markets. Cassidy, a Trinity graduate herself, now runs Fusion Sundays, a World Culture Market at the Dublin Food Co-Op in New Market Square, Dublin 8, on the second Sunday of every month. The main focus of this monthly market is “offering a space for people with different cultural backgrounds to integrate or present themselves through micro businesses”.
Fusion Sundays, like many monthly markets, runs a special Christmas event. Fusion brings the added twist of celebrating a decidedly international festive season. The group advertise their unique event not just as a Christmas market, but also as an “authentic culture-clash of international stalls, pop-up workshops, and live performances”. This world culture market has now been running for four years and continues to grow steadily every month. The myriad of international stalls featured in the market have their own share of regulars along with a consistent stream of new additions to keep it fresh every time. Fusion Sundays is Dublin’s only multi-ethnic bazaar and Cassidy is confident “there is definitely no other world Christmas market like it!”.
Cassidy really has her work cut out curating this market. She selects the best stalls from hundreds of applications and is on site the night before to get her own hands dirty setting up each market. Cassidy stresses the importance of advertising each market. In this digital era, social media has become a big part of getting the word out there.
Cassidy’s primary motivation for running this Christmas market does come from the need to turn a profit, it also stems from “an inner urge to explore different cultures, while offering people a space to showcase what they are all about as well as running a business”. A noble cause if I ever heard one. Nobler still is the sense of community that Fusion Sunday’s endeavours to foster among their stallholders and visitors. This sense of community is one that the Christmas market can only accentuate with its holiday cheer and general good will.
While Christmas markets are so often associated with food and crafts, many punters look for other kinds of Christmas cheer in markets. If you look hard enough you really can find a Christmas market to serve your every need. For example, Poetry Ireland tested the Christmas market waters this year with their pop-up shop. Speaking to The University Times , Muireann Sheahan of Poetry Ireland explained why the group had decided to ride the Christmas markets wave in their own unique way. Sheahan was quick to note that two of her biggest concerns were allowing for credit card payments and procuring copious amount of mulled wine – clearly a woman who has her priorities in check. Poetry Ireland was thrilled to showcase their new premises with this Christmas pop-up shop. They recently moved into a beautiful Georgian building and are excited to welcome the world to their new home. This being a Christmas event, the majority of their stock consisted of handpicked selection of Irish-published books. In true Christmas market spirit they also held a selection of art prints and craft pieces. If I’ve learned anything about Christmas markets at this point, it’s that arts and crafts are as essential as mulled wine and Santa hats.
When asked why she felt Christmas markets to be such a popular tradition, Sheahan replied lyrically: “Christmas has become so commercialised that I think people appreciate the opportunity to step away from the high-street madness, and enjoy the pleasures of a mooch around a nice Christmas market or stall. The cheerful, relaxed atmosphere, the smell of cinnamon, and the opportunity to share a drink or a stand-up meal with friends are all part of the pleasure.” This comment essentially captures the enduring appeal of Christmas markets here in Dublin.
Never more than in these socially and politically tumultuous times have people been in more need of not only a sense of Christmas spirit, but of community. Community lies at the heart of these festive bazaars – they celebrate difference and welcome variety. For a brief period of time a massive group of hugely disparate people have the opportunity to come together and share something in common.That sentiment, surely, is exactly what Christmas should be all about.
