The History of
European Christmas Markets
Free Online Lecture
A Complimentary Christmas Lecture – Our Gift to You
As the year draws to a close, we invite you to join us for our special free Christmas lecture to thank all Academy Travellers who have joined us – both online and on tour – throughout the year. Registration is essential below.
SNAPSHOT
Lecturer: Thomas Abbott
Date: Monday 15 December, 2025
Duration: 1 hour
Start Time: 7.30pm AEDT | 6.30pm QLD | 7.00pm SA | 4.30pm WA | 9.30pm NZST
Price: Free - Donations welcome to Mary’s House Services >
WATCH ON DEMAND
Can't make the date above? Don't worry... this lecture is recorded, allowing you to watch and revisit at your convenience for up to 30 days. Simply sign up below and we'll send you a link one hour after the lecture is held.
overview
Europe’s Christmas markets trace their origins to the late Middle Ages, when winter fairs were held in the weeks leading up to Christmas to supply townspeople with essential goods and seasonal items.
Over the centuries, these humble gatherings of butchers, bakers, and craftsmen grew into lively community celebrations, influenced by local customs, regional delicacies, and the anticipation of Advent. By the early modern period, many cities—particularly in German-speaking regions—had transformed these markets into civic events, featuring wooden stalls, decorations, and rituals marking the change of the year.
In this special seasonal lecture, Thomas Abbott guides us on a festive journey through the fascinating development of these markets, showing how they shifted over the centuries from practical winter needs to beloved cultural festivals brimming with European traditions.
YOUR EXPERT LECTURER
Thomas Abbott is an art and architectural historian who brings more than three decades of cultural immersion in Germany to his role as a tour leader, presenter and lecturer. A graduate of Carleton College Minnesota and the Technical University of Berlin, Thomas further broadened his expertise with study at the Louvre School of Art History in Paris.
Since relocating to Berlin in 1987, Thomas has led numerous small-group cultural tours through Germany, Austria and broader Europe—including regular collaborations with Academy Travel. He specialises in architectural developments from the Baroque to modernism, with a deep knowledge of German and Austrian art, design and performance traditions.
Thomas’s passion lies in turning buildings, artworks and landscapes into stories of cultural transformation—whether in the urban fabric of Berlin, the palaces of Prussia or the winter-festooned squares of Europe’s Christmas markets.
BOOK YOUR SPOT
Free Lecture
We look forward to sharing this special free Christmas lecture with you and to welcoming you on new journeys in the year ahead.
Donate this Christmas
Supporting Mary’s House
While the lecture is entirely complimentary, we have included an optional donation button for those who would like to contribute to ‘Mary’s House Services’ – a Sydney-based, not-for-profit organisation providing safety, shelter and essential support to women and their children escaping or recovering from domestic and family violence.
Academy Travel will match every dollar donated.
Learn more about Mary’s House Services >
Mary’s House is an Australian Registered Charity.
HOW IT WORKS
Our online lectures are hosted on Zoom, a free online education platform. If you don’t already have an account with Zoom, you will need to sign up at www.zoom.us. When joining our online lectures, you will not be able to join with video or audio.
An online booking is required, made above. Each booking is for one computer screen use, not per person. Our online booking system is powered by Stripe, with secure payment processing that accepts all major credit cards. A confirmation of purchase will be sent to your email including a Zoom link, along with a reminder email sent 2 hours before each session.