First Intercultural Christmas Market
Christmas international on Friday, 19 December, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at TIETZ
An international Christmas in the heart of Chemnitz: the city's foreigners' representative, Etelka Kobuß, together with the team from the Lila Villa women's centre, invites you to the first Intercultural Christmas Market on Friday, 19 December from 10 am to 6 pm at Haus TIETZ. The programme includes Christmas music and Christmas stories from all over the world, typical delicacies not only from the local Erzgebirge region, a wide variety of handicrafts (for small Christmas presents to take home). The small stage can be conquered with music and singing and well-known fairy tale and Christmas characters such as Father Frost with Snegurutschka (Snowflake), Zwarter Piet and Witch Befana, Queen of Lights Lucia and, of course, Father Christmas.
Foreigners' representative Etelka Kobuß: "With our first Intercultural Christmas Market, we would like to make the people of Chemnitz curious about Christmas traditions from all over the world and warmly invite the refugees who have come to Chemnitz to familiarise themselves with the Christmas traditions in their new home."
The organisers have found committed supporters and helpers for the preparation and supervision of the Christmas market: According to Etelka Kobuß, 40 pupils from the Fortis Academy, for example, are getting involved with a super offer: The high school students prepare biscuits and handicrafts, take on the decoration and supervision of the Christmas market and also organise the international Christmas story and fairy tale reading corner bilingually in English and German.
The project is supported by the GGG, which provides the lounge area on the ground floor of the building free of charge. Cooperation partner of the Intercultural Christmas Market is Haus TIETZ, which provides tables and chairs as well as a mobile sound system and microphones for the technical and organisational design. The Haase butcher's shop has promised tasty support with around 100 pairs of Viennese sausages. Nationality associations such as the associations of Vietnamese and Hungarians living in Chemnitz are also taking part in the Intercultural Christmas Market. According to Etelka Kobuß, friendly sponsors will of course not be turned away: Cakes, stollen and biscuits or even typical sweets from faraway countries will enrich the Christmas market. "And anyone who would like to take part in the event on 19 December, for example with singing or an instrumental contribution, is cordially invited to do so and can use a small stage for performances. Spanish and Ukrainian Christmas music have already been booked," says a delighted Etelka Kobuß.
Contact: Contact persons for participation in the preparation of the first Intercultural Christmas Market are Etelka Kobuß, Commissioner for Foreigners, call 0371/488-5047, e-mail: auslaenderbeauftragte@stadt-chemnitz.de and Iris Tätzel-Machute, akCente e.V./ Frauenzentrum Lila Villa, call 0371/30 26 78,
e-mail: lilavilla(at)onlinehome.de