Rostock: Historic Christmas market canceled again in 2025!

Rostock: Historic Christmas market canceled again in 2025!

The anticipation of the contemplative time will be dampened again in Rostock this year: the historic Christmas market in Iga Park will also have to be canceled in 2025. As the Ostsee-Zeitung first reported and was picked up by Der Westen, the organizers had already announced the cancellation of the popular market in 2024 and that it would be postponed until 2025. The organizer's website still states that the event has been postponed to 2025, but the reasons for the new cancellation are varied and not specified. The Christmas market in Dortmund meets a similar fate, as a construction site makes it impossible to hold it.

Events like the Rostock Christmas market are particularly popular and are among the largest in Northern Germany. The market usually opens after Dead Sunday and is dominated by busy stalls and a festive atmosphere. Visitors usually find numerous attractions and offers. The Rostock Christmas market will open on a Monday, which falls on November 27th in 2023. Visitors can look forward to a colorful program that will be opened by Santa Claus and his entourage from the fairytale forest.

A look at the markets

But the problem child Rostock is not an isolated case. While larger markets such as the Christmas market in Rostock and the approximately 2,500 Christmas markets in Germany each year will continue to exist despite some reports of cancellations, there are a few smaller markets that were canceled this year for various reasons, such as renovation work and increased security requirements. Especially after the threatening attacks in Berlin and Magdeburg in recent years, security costs have increased dramatically and doubled by around 150,000 euros in Magdeburg.

As the news portal ZDF reports, there are no signs of a nationwide cancellation of all Christmas markets in Germany. In fact, the majority of markets are safe, even if some smaller ones, such as in Overath, Rostock, Hamburg-Rahlstedt and Dortmund, cannot take place. The German Showmen's Association emphasizes that reports of mass cancellations are often exaggerated and are based on false information on social media.

The season of Christmas markets

Despite these difficulties, the Rostock Christmas market remains a central attraction in the run-up to Christmas. The 2024 opening is scheduled for November 25th to December 22nd, and the 2025 market is scheduled for November 24th to December 22nd. While the market is open, visitors will find numerous stalls selling various delicacies and crafts from Monday to Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., on Friday and Saturday until 9:30 p.m. and on Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The market also provides a special service for families: Wednesday is highlighted as a family day, with special offers for younger visitors on the program. The social commitment is demonstrated by the “Day of Encounter” event, which offers people with disabilities the opportunity to interact. So, despite the cancellations, the Christmas magic in Rostock remains part of the beautiful pre-Christmas season.

So it remains exciting and despite some cancellations, there are also bright spots at many markets - and perhaps again next year at the Rostock Christmas market, which, according to weihnachtsmaerkte.net, has by no means disappeared from the memory of lovers of the festive season.

It turns out: Christmas markets are part of German culture, whose festivities continue despite all the challenges. The first lights of the season will shine soon!

More and more people are looking forward to the festive days and the special flair that these markets bring with them - an oasis of joy in hectic times.