Pre-Christmas traditions, local and regional handicraft products, Christmas music and a joyful atmosphere have made the Christmas market in Hosman (Târg de Crăciun la Hosman) an unforgettable Advent experience for young and old, even in its fourth edition!
How do you manage in just five years to make an event a fixed and indispensable part of the pre-Christmas event calendar? – The team of the CEPIT Association, the Fortified Churches Foundation, the CasApold Association and the Transylvanian Forum probably know, because this is exactly the feat they have achieved with the Christmas Market in Hosman! Ruth István (Fortified Churches Foundation) from the organizing committee describes: “For us it is every year a beautiful task and a great pleasure to prepare and carry out the Christmas Market in Hosman and we are quite proud and happy about the great response and the increasing number of visitors.” More than 500 guests, not only from the Sibiu area, but also from other counties and regions of Romania, have duly rewarded the loving and effortful preparations of the organizers of the Christmas Market this year as well.
The Christmas market established in 2018 in the Hartibaciu community was implemented for the fourth time (in 2020 had to be paused due to COVID) by the Fortified Churches Foundation, the CEPIT Association, the CasApold Association and the Democratic Forum of Germans in Transylvania (DFDS) with local partner associations and the Sibiu District Consistory. The event was financially supported by the Department for Interethnic Relations of the Romanian government, the HOG Holzmengen (community of emmigrated Saxons in Germany), the Kulturwerk der Siebenbürger Sachsen and the Bavarian government.
With 25 exhibitors and sales booths, the offer has almost doubled compared to last year! For the first time, in addition to the pre-Christmas classics – punch and mulled wine – there was also regional beer: the association Churchfortress – Friends of Hundertbücheln/Movile served its hop drop under the ingenious product name “Hundertbierchen”. In addition to the Colindători from Hosman, who performed traditional Romanian Christmas carols in folk costume in the parish barn, organist Remus Henning (Heltau-Bucharest) invited to an organ concert in the fortified church. The visit of Santa Claus and the children’s program were taken care of by the Școala Trimitoare Association, to the delight of the youngest. The undisputed highlight of the event was the Living Nativity Scene. The birth scene as well as the procession took place within the grounds of the fortified church. The finale was, as always, a musical surprise, this year in the form of a singing and DJ performance by Vlad Mihăescu and Maria Balabaș-Mihăescu of the Minimorum Association as Muze.Gemuse from Șomartin.
The idea of organizing a Christmas market in a fortified church has meanwhile become more popular. The Hosman Christmas Market pioneers do not see this as a competition but are justifiably proud of it. Ruth István is pleased: “Apparently a fortified church – and not only the one in Hosman – is wonderfully suitable as a venue for events of this kind. This year, other towns such as Agnita, Brădeni and Șura Mare have recognized this potential and organized their own Christmas markets within the walls of the respective fortified churches.
Text: Stefan Bichler
Fotos: Stefan Jammer
