There is competition between cities when the winter holidays approach. A Christmas fair competition. A famous, special Christmas fair that is recognized as the most beautiful is a magnet for tourists. That's why more and more cities are organizing these fairs. In Romania, every big city has such a fair. The most important one is in Sibiu.
Hard to say which is the most beautiful, interesting, or pleasant place, because it is a subjective choice, we all have our preferences. I lean towards Sibiu when I think about my country, Romania. It is a city where the medieval part has been very well preserved and restored. Sibiu's squares are known all over Europe, attracting crowds of tourists.
Buildings that were built in the twelfth century and are still inhabited, or this tower that separates the Main Square from Huet Square are emblems of the city.
A strange coincidence made me travel to Sibiu just one day before the opening of the famous Christmas fair! An unexpected opportunity to see the Christmas fair on the very first day it opened.
Christmas Fair in Sibiu's Main Square, on the first day.
These fairs have a common characteristic, which is that they are crowded places. The fact that I was able to visit on the morning of the first day was a great advantage for me. It wasn't crowded, especially since the official opening was going to be in the evening... We entered through the gate to the Brukenthal Museum, "guarded" by the statue of the famous Samuel Brukenthal.
In the rather small space of the market were placed about a hundred small shops with all kinds of things for sale offered to tens of thousands of future visitors and potential buyers.
Of course, I took advantage of this chance to be there when there were few visitors so I could quietly see what was on sale. I try to show them to you and try to order them according to the offer. I noticed that the food is well represented...
Food prepared and served on the spot, such as pies, and cakes.
Hot drinks, teas, and mulled wine. Lots of sweets, especially gingerbread.
Prices are between one dollar and five dollars.
These above were small snacks but there is also more concentrated, more elaborate food offered to the hungry and greedy.
Lots of grilled meat, skewers, fries, salads...
Unmissable and necessary pickles, to mitigate the fats consumed with so much appetite.
Sausages, fried fish, soups. Food for all tastes. Prices here are higher, between four and ten dollars a portion.
Other food, actually groceries, to take home. Specialties are food traditionally prepared according to old recipes.
Different kinds of cheeses...
Meat products...
Ham, bacon, sausages, all smoked.
Sausages, pastrami, and many other extremely tasty varieties. All the good stuff costs, the price per kilo is about $20.
This is a winter fair, so it's supposed to be cold. Because of this, mulled wine, the most pleasant way to warm up, is in abundance. A glass of mulled wine costs $3.
Even if I started this presentation with the food mainly sought by adults, I do not forget that these Christmas fairs are made especially for children. Even if parents pay, children are the main beneficiaries and the best buyers!
The offer for children starts with sweets...
Most are, by tradition, gingerbread which costs between one and two dollars.
But again the formula "all for all" applies... that is, even for the more sophisticated sweet lovers.
Christmas fairs, like Christmas celebrations, are big business, a way to boost sales and increase demand... even if there are still "big kids" in the world, like 
Parents come to the fair to accompany their children, and the merchants know this and are happy that the adults, the cardholders, have arrived on the premises. There are plenty of shops here made especially to attract the eye, especially mothers!
They (mothers) quickly fall into the shopping trap, from clothing... to Christmas decorations.
Because I mentioned decorations, I saw something that also impressed me, I must admit I was looking more for mulled wine.
Decorations made of dried fruits, especially orange and lemon slices.
More expensive than others, with prices between $8 and to $36.
I think all those items are worth those prices.
Making them involves a lot of work, a lot of materials, and a lot of imagination.
What's more, all those items are intensely scented. A Christmas fragrance that is sure to stay in your memory.
And what's more, they are all made from natural, eco-friendly materials.
As mentioned above, Christmas fairs are for children. For their joy. For their fun...
Here they can meet Santa Claus, talk to him, and take pictures with him...for a fee, of course, but children don't need to know that. The only thing left is the excitement and most of them hesitate to get into Santa's sleigh.
Instead, the carousel is easier. Nobody hesitates here.
For those who aren't thrilled with the merry-go-round, there's still the train. The train and the snowman in a snowless winter!
Once at the fair, they all look for something and most of them find it.
From colored stones,
to various figurines made from them,
From decorative and scented candles,
to very colorful jewelry.
From objects made of wood,
up to dolls dressed in traditional costumes.
And so on, almost endlessly. Everyone can find something to their liking, the important thing is to have money left in your wallet after a complete tour of the fair. If you run out of money, the only option is to go home, or to a hotel, in our case.
This was a walk through the Christmas fair in Sibiu, in daylight and uncrowded conditions. In the evening things change radically...
I will tell you about the night adventures on another occasion.
Post made for #MarketFriday and the eternal Christmas lover,
I'm keeping the tradition of ending with a flower, 
