by Finn, age 9 from Leipzig, Germany, asks Santa about Raeuchermann incense burners, the Ore Mountains, and Leipzig’s historic Christmas market.
Dear Santa, my name is Finn, and I am nine years old. I live in Leipzig, Germany, where my opa says our Christmas market has been going strong since long, long before either of us was born.
Dear Finn, a Christmas market with that much history deserves a very appreciative flyover, your opa picked a truly festive hometown.
Santa, I have three questions.
What is a Santa incense burner? My oma has one on our windowsill that puffs out little clouds of smoke.
That is a Raeuchermann, Finn, a beloved wooden folk figure from the nearby Ore Mountains, traditionally carved to hold a small incense cone and puff gentle smoke from its mouth. Santa-shaped versions have become a favorite, and your oma clearly has excellent taste.
My opa says the Ore Mountains, famous for woodcarving, are not too far from Leipzig. Is that true?
It is true, Finn, the Erzgebirge, or Ore Mountains, lie not far south of your city, long known for skilled woodcarving traditions. I always enjoy that craftsmanship-filled landscape on my way to visit you.
My opa says Leipzig’s Christmas market is one of the oldest in all of Germany. Is that true?
It is true, Finn, Leipzig’s Christmas market traces its roots back over five hundred years, one of the oldest and most cherished in the entire country. That kind of long lasting tradition, generation after generation gathering in the cold, is really the heart of the season.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Finn Brandt
Leipzig, Germany
P.S. Do you have a Raeuchermann of your own at the workshop?
Several, Finn, the elves are rather fond of the little puffs of smoke.
