Ideas for your own little Christmas market at home

It is still more than a month to go until Christmas Eve but I I think we all will miss visiting the Christmas markets in Zurich - or anywhere else - this year. That is why, I already want to share some ideas with you to get into the festive mood anyways (and that without a red nose and freezing hands and feet). #quarantinelifestyle

Start with decorating a corner in your room or flat with candles and a chain of lights (if you have one).

Bake cookies or buy lebkuchen AND of course mulled wine should not be missed. Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter for a very yummy recipe.

Here is some inspiration for decorating from my WG´s living room (as you can see - we already tested the mulled wine for you ;)

What else should not be missed? Of course, some Christmas songs :)

The STUDENT HOTCHPOTCH Christmas playlist

These are our favourite songs for listening infinite loop:

• I’ ll be Home for Christmas - Meghan Trainor

• Holly Jolly Christmas - Michael Bublé

• Christmas Lights - Coldplay

• It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas - Michael Bublé

• Driving home for Christmas - Chris Rea

• All I want for Christmas is you - Maria Carey

• Let it Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! - Dean Martin

• Feliz Navidad

• Merry Christmas everyone - Shakin´Stevens

• Do they know it´s Christmas? - Band Aid 30

• Wonderful dream (holidays are coming) - Melanie Thornton

• Michael Bublé Christmas Playlist on Youtube:

Christmas markets are also a great opportunity for shopping some handmade presents.

So here some ideas for handmade presents which you can do at home:

1. Photo ideas

Photos are always a good idea but I think especially in this year when you could not/ still cannot or don’t want to visit your grandparents or friends from faraway in person: photos and videos are great to share experiences and moments from 2020.

• Create an album with photos from this year and add some handwritten anecdotes to the photos. Tell the presentee what you did during lockdown and how you feel.

• Buy a big sheet of paperboard and make a memory game with photos (all photos should be printed or cut in the same size and don’t forget to print each photo twice!) You can play together with the presentee on Christmas and tell your experiences from 2020 in person during the game when you get a matching pair.

2. Seasoning salt

Your family or friends like to cook? Then this would be a great idea and can maybe also be used right after Christmas to prepare dinner for New Years Eve :)

What you need:

• Of course salt (you can use every kind of salt but sea salt works especially well because of its amount of residual moisture. That is why the aroma of the added spices can be better absorbed.)

• Your favorite kind of spices (dried)

  • Classical: rosemary, thyme, lavender

  • Spicey: chilli

  • Fruity: add some abrasion of an organic (!) orange to the sea salt and the dried rosemary

• Airtight container

• Paper and pen for creating some nice labels

Recommended Mixing ratio: 80% percentage of salt and 20% of your spice.

I linked the website where I found this idea for seasoning salt here .

3. Cookies

Bake some cookies – friends, family and of course you will enjoy them.

• English recipes here

• German recipes here

If you have more ideas for handmade presents – write a comment under this post :)

I wish you a wonderful advent and Christmas time, even if this year will be different. Stay healthy and besides the exam preparation have time to relax and reflect. I wish you all the best for 2021!

#studyingduringcorona