My favorite memory of the Christmas market is from Frankfurt in 2010, when a thunderstorm hit the region, crippling air traffic and interrupting many travelers, but making downtown look like a history book as we strolled through the market with mulled wine in glasses. There are many recipes online, but all you need is a bottle of dry red wine, sugar and some spices like cinnamon and cloves, plus orange juice and orange peel. Originally, Stollen was a simple dough made only of flour, yeast, and butter. But in 1490, when Pope Innocent VIII lifted the ban on baking butter during Advent, Stollen began to evolve into the dense, rich pastry we know today. Many of the traditional Christmas songs we all know and love originated in German-speaking countries, including “O Tannenbaum-O Christmas Tree” and “Silent Night.” In Germany and German-speaking countries, including Switzerland and Austria, Christmas is synonymous with holding Christmas markets: the Weinachtsmarkt. A few weeks before Christmas, they ripen and reveal their flavors. Unfortunately, in an unprecedented 2020, most of Germany’s famous Christmas markets have been cancelled.