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Dreaming of a live Christmas in 2020

The end of the year holiday season is set to be significantly quieter than the previous year. Family time is not possible for most of us, because of the social distancing regulations, and since we're stuck at home, the event organizers are doing everything possible to bring Christmas to our living rooms.

Most Christmas Markets have been cancelled

Christmas markets can be traced back to the year 1298 in Vienna, and their tradition has spread across the world over the centuries. Some have grown so popular, they've become tourist attractions in their own right.

Unfortunately, with the current pandemic and the Covid-19 regulations, the vast majority of festive markets will not be taking place this year. Most traditional Christmas markets across Europe have been cancelled for 2020, and it's likely that even more will be called off at the last minute depending on the coronavirus situation in each country. It follows the cancellation of major events, including the 2020 Olympics or the Wimbledon tennis championship this year. In its November update, online magazine Travel & Leisure listed some of the most famous Christmas Markets cancelled in Europe.

In Austria the Christmas markets situation varies, some are moving forward with extra precautions in place, while others are cancelled for the year. In Salzburg, St. Leonhard Advent Market, Advent Magic in Hellbrunn, Advent of the Villages, Stern Advent and Winter Market, and the Advent Market at Hohenwerfen Castle have all been cancelled. Although Vienna's prettiest squares have been decorated, the stalls have moved online.

In England and across the United Kingdom, there have been many Christmas market cancellations, including the Bristol Christmas market, Stratford-upon-Avon Christmas market, Bournemouth Christmas Tree Wonderland, and the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland in London. Originally, the Edinburgh Christmas market caused controversy when officials planned to proceed, but the festival has since gone digital. In a similar situation to Edinburgh, the Christmas markets in Glasgow have also had the plug pulled. The Aberdeen Christmas Village and Perth Winter Festival have both been cancelled. In Wales, the Winter Fair and carol service at Aberglasney Gardens and Blaenavon Christmas market have also been cancelled. However, the Christmas markets in Swansea and Cardiff operate according to COVID 19 regulations.

In Italy, the Christmas market in Trento - the "city of Christmas" will not take place in 2020. Christmas markets in at Bolzano, Merano, Bressanone, Brunico and Vipiteno. have also been cancelled, reports Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore. It follows emergency decret issued by the Italian government in October. In similar ways, the most famous Christmas market in Milan, "Mercatino di Natale in Piazza Duomo", has been cancelled.

In Germany the Nuremberg Christmas market - one of Germany's oldest, dating back to the 1600s - was cancelled for the first time in 73 years. Other major markets, including the Cologne Christmas market, Phantastischer Lichter Weihnachtsmarkt in Dortmund, Frankfurt Christmas market, Dresden Christmas market, Weihnachtsmarkt am Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin and the Münchner Christkindlmarkt were cancelled for 2020. Due to the current situation, even smaller Christmas markets in Berlin, Franconia, Hamburg, Koblenz, and other regions have also been closed, at least until 22 December. However, a few Christmas stalls, still offer muld wine, roasted chestnuts and Christmas pastries.

In Paris, the iconic Jardin des Tuileries Christmas market (formerly the one in the Champs Elysées), as well as Christmas markets in Arras, Grenoble, Lille, and Provins have been cancelled for 2020. In Strasbourg, the famous stalls place Kleber do not take place this year due to the restrictions, but the city has set up a website where to find many artisans and small chalets.

In Czech Republic, major markets including those at Old Town Square, Wenceslas Square, and Republic Square in Prague will not take place this year. The traditional Christmas tree and decorations in Old Town Square is there, but without the usual surrounding festive stalls.

For some, these cancellations mean a big financial loss, but most of the small businesses adapted quickly and moved on the Internet. So, there are plenty of local handmade gifts and goods to buy online this winter.

Christmas shows will be held online

Whether we have children in the house or we are reaching to our inner child that comes out every Christmas, we all enjoy spending the winter holidays tucked on the sofa, with a hot chocolate, watching some Christmas specials.

This year there are some amazing shows to see online, so we can forget for a while about the difficult time that our planet is going through right now. The Guardian lists some of the best theatre shows to watch online this Christmas:

• The Legend of Moby Dick Whittington - available until the 5th of January, a madcap musical mash-up from the team who brought you Goldilocks and the Three Musketeers.
• The Magic of Christmas - 9-23 December, a Yuletide promenade performance about elves racing to save Christmas. No need to wrap up warm: you can watch a filmed version from home.
• Ali the Magic Elf - 16–25 December, Ramesh Meyyappan is a magical performer who plays a sprite tasked with averting a Christmas Eve disaster. Designed for children aged 3-8.
• The Haunting of Alice Bowles - 17 December–28 February, because it wouldn't be Christmas without a chilling ghost story. The show is produced by Original Theatre Company whose lockdown productions include Apollo 13: The Dark Side of the Moon.
• A Christmas Carol - 12-24 December, In a year of monologues and minor-key online shows, the Old Vic's full-scale production, featuring live music, has employed 80 freelance creatives.
• The Snow Queen - 19-26 December, Iris Theatre's interactive adventure for the over fours asks the audience to huddle around the laptop and help storyteller Holly.
• Little Robin Redbreast - from 21 December, a tale of a plucky robin on a magical quest.
• Mother Christmas - from 4 December, Composer Barb Jungr, director Samantha Lane, puppets designer Lyndie Wright, the free 15-minute show follows Mother Christmas as she outdoes Amazon by masterminding global gift deliveries.
• Jack and the Beanstalk - 1-31 December, the Belgrade theatre puts an extraordinary show
• Festive Tales - 19 December. The programme includes carols, songs and festive extracts from past productions of Shakespeare plays – something to bring a little light to a pandemic winter of discontent.
• Looking a Lot Like Christmas - 16 December, Imelda Staunton, Minnie Driver, Giles Terera and Rosalie Craig are among the cast for the Donmar's night of show-tunes, sketches and poetry, filmed at St Paul's Church in Covent Garden.
• Christmas at the (Snow) Globe - 21 December to 5 January, Relive the joy of Toksvig's singalong shindig with this film version.
• The Emperor's New Clothes - 12–31 December, Laura Lindow reworks the Hans Christian Andersen perennial about trickery and vanity.
• Cinderella - 11 December-16 January, The show – written and staged by artistic director Adam Penford – will be streamed so viewers around the world can enjoy it.

Concerts and classical music will be in our homes these holidays

We will miss the hot mulled wine and the red noses that we are used to, when going to see a Christmas concert, but our safety comes first, and if we are to spend the winter holidays at home, we might as well make a nice atmosphere and enjoy some good music. Classic FM presents us several options to choose from:

• VOCES8's online festival from the 1st till the 31st of December, filmed live from the choir's stunning church in the heart of London, as well as other venues across the world. Live From London Christmas comprises 15 concerts in total.
• Tuesday 8 December onwards: Constella Opera Ballet presents a Christmas Gala in aid of their Connecting Stars initiative for care home residents, which sees musicians provide free one-to-one virtual performances to isolated residents of those institutions. Expect beautiful performances of Piazzolla, Bizet and Bernstein, and much more.
• Friday 18 December - Saturday 26 December: City Music Live. Concerts include The Piccadilly Sinfonietta's Piccadilly Christmas Concert, and performances by The English Symphony Orchestra's leader Zoë Beyers, and pianist and Chopin expert Warren Mailley-Smith.
• Sunday 20 December, 19:00 EST: The Handel and Haydn Society and GBH present Handel's Messiah for Our Time, an online iteration of its annual festive performance of Handel's Messiah, with a nod to reflecting to the tough year that's been. Featuring Ian Watson conducting, and vocalists Joélle Harvey, Reginald Mobley, Aaron Sheehan, and Sumner Thompson.
• Sunday 20 December, 19:30 BST: Sarah Brightman reunites with Andrew Lloyd Webber for her first ever live-streamed concert, A Christmas Symphony, from London's Christ Church Spitalfields. Tickets  will raise funds for the Global FoodBanking Network.
• Tuesday 22 December: Christmas with The King's Singers streams online until 31 December. The choir sings from composer John Rutter's local church, and promises the warmth and comfort of all our favourite Christmas music.

It has been a tough year for all of us, but Christmas always comes with gratitude and kindness. If we look back and analyse ourselves, maybe we will realise that we all share a part of the responsibility. What we can do to have a better 2021 is very easy: we have to show compassion for ourselves, for each other, and most of all for this beautiful planet that we inhabit.

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 Author: Oana Tamas |  2020-12-10 08:00:00

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