“We managed to last four weeks!”

The Strasbourg Christmas market will officially close its chalets this Sunday, December 26. Despite the masks, the compulsory sanitary pass and the catering areas, the public seems to have been there. If the chalets of food products made a mixed figure, because of the sanitary restrictions, the other businesses rather found the smile after the cancellation of last year.

This conviviality is over

In the aisles of the Christmas market, what goes to all the stands is relief.  “The first 15 days we felt that we could close overnight, now we are reassured“, says Claudine Oehrmann who runs a mulled wine stand. But if she is reassured, in her cash drawer it is not euphoria, she says the fault of the obligatory mask and the catering areas which have killed the conviviality : “Before, people stopped at the chalet, they drank, laughed, discussed, this conviviality is over“.

In the chalets that do not sell food, we tend to smile, like at Patrick Walga. He sells toys and soft toys. His family has been present at the Strasbourg Christmas market since the beginning of the last century: “It has picked up well!“, he rejoices.”The results are satisfactory. Tourists have returned, even the Japanese and Americans“.

“Pleasantly surprised to have been able to hold out until December 26th”

The Christmas market, which is held until the end, is a bit of a good surprise for Guillaume Libsig, the deputy mayor in charge of the Christmas Capital operation: “The first return is actually to have managed to hold out for the four weeks. The exhibitors also participated in the management of the public and everyone is pleasantly surprised to have been able to hold out until the 26th. It is not yet the return to normal, but there is a dynamic to move forward together on Captiale of Christmas.”