Christmas markets to start soon and light up again
The fairy lights at the large Christmas markets in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are to shine again without restriction this year. This is the result of a survey of the towns and operators. At the Greifswald Christmas market, the showmen will be able to switch on their lights again without any time restrictions, said a city spokeswoman. The Christmas lights in the city center will also light up again as they did before the energy crisis and will no longer be time-restricted. There are also no special energy requirements in Rostock, said Inga Knospe, Managing Director of Großmarkt Rostock GmbH. However, the organizer wants to save energy by reducing the number of heated containers, for example.
The cities pointed out that the lighting had already been converted to energy-saving LED lights wherever possible. In Stralsund, however, as in the previous year, there will be a culture tent instead of an energy-intensive ice rink. The ice rink at the Christmas market in Schwerin had already been technically converted in 2022 in order to reduce energy consumption. According to the organizers, it will open again this year.
The ice rink in Neubrandenburg will also be rebuilt, as the Weberglockenmarkt announced on its website. Ice skating on the market square was canceled last year.
In addition to the energy costs, the organizers are now primarily concerned with negotiations with the music collecting society Gema. Due to remeasurements of the event area, Großmarkt Rostock GmbH, for example, is expecting a significant increase in fees in the coming years. As a protest, neither "Last Christmas" nor "All I Want for Christmas Is You" will be played for two hours on December 4. Markets across Germany are taking part in the "Day of Silence". "All organizers are concerned with a fair Gema tariff for Christmas markets," said the Rostock-based company. In addition, there will be no stage program on Mondays and Fridays, said Managing Director Knospe.
In Stralsund, on the other hand, there will be no restrictions on music despite the increased fees, according to a city spokesperson. In Greifswald, the fees had already been raised in the past, the city spokesperson said. The city does not expect any further adjustments this year.
The Christmas markets in Rostock, Schwerin and Stralsund officially start on Monday. In Stralsund, however, the stalls already opened on November 20 as a so-called winter market, and a day off is planned for the Sunday of the dead. The Weberglockenmarkt in Neubrandenburg starts on Tuesday, the Christmas market in Greifswald on Thursday.
During the leisure time of municipalities, the energy-efficient LED lights at the Christmas markets will continue to illuminate, such as in Greifswald where there are no time restrictions. Additionally, some municipalities, like Stralsund, have opted for cultural tents instead of energy-intensive attractions like ice rinks during this music-filled festive season.
Source: www.dpa.com
