With the arrival of November, and a smattering of snow, comes the advent of one of Edinburgh’s most famous institutions: the Christmas Markets. Hosted in Princes Street Gardens over the Christmas period (from 15th November to 5th January), the Edinburgh Christmas Markets are hallowed as some of the best in Europe — outside Germany of course — with visitors coming not just from across the country but across the continent to experience them themselves.
However, taking a look behind the glitzy facade, it appears that the Christmas markets leave a lot to be desired. Taking even a quick glance on TripAdvisor leaves the attraction looking like a less than appealing day out. Coming in at the 483rd best attraction in Edinburgh (out of 596 listings), the markets have only achieved a measly average score of 2 out of 5 stars.
Certain descriptions crop up again and again: average, not worth bothering with, extortionately expensive, used to be better. One reviewer from earlier this year went so far as to call it “a new circle of hell”: congested, chaotic, and crowded. The entire experience feels more like an exhausting, gaudy, funfair than an authentic German experience. All things considered, it seems the byword for the annual rigmarole is in fact “disappointing”.
While no-one can deny that Christmas has gradually become a monetised affair, it is disappointing to see such a joyous season become so overwhelmed with overwrought and underwhelming festivities. I’d rather not spend the best part of £20 on a single measly glass of mulled wine and a lacklustre pretzel. Of course, those running Christmas events such as the markets also have to earn a living too — I don’t doubt that the overheads and ground fees for opening a stall are astronomical — but at what point do the markets become unmarketable?
Evolving over the years into a capitalist fanfare (even Christmas marketing campaigns for huge corporations are a highly anticipated — and lucrative — endeavour), has the spirit of Christmas been truly sacrificed to the gods of commercialism? In 2024, total retail sales — online and in-store — during the Christmas season are forecast to reach 88 billion British pounds in the UK, making this the largest ever Christmas season spender. Nevertheless, belts are having to be tightened even further in the wake of inflation, with the cost of goods appearing only to surge at an alarming, exponential, rate. The Edinburgh Christmas Markets are simply another example of a once great tradition lost to the depths of the cost-of-living crisis.
It’s overly optimistic and fairly naive to ask for a return to unadulterated Christmas joy perpetuated solely by spending time with loved ones, as opposed to spending money. Nevertheless, it feels undeniable — and fairly disheartening — that the Christmas spirit has been tainted by money-grabbing vendors who appear only to inflate prices with the remit of deflating value and experience. Maybe it wasn’t the Grinch who stole Christmas after all.
“Edinburgh Christmas Market” by csakkarin is licensed under CC BY 2.0.