West Newsmagazine 11-27-19

36 I
November 27, 2019
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE
Finding the Right Place
Just Got Easier!
@WESTNEWSMAG
WESTNEWSMAGAZINE.COM
Four merry getaways that deliver
the spirit of Christmas Past
The Christkindl Markt at Hermannhof Winery
[Photo courtesy of VisitHermann.com]
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By SUZANNE CORBETT
The holiday countdown is on – but all
you really want for Christmas is to escape
to a place where jingling bells, lights and
traditions promise to make your season
merry and bright.
It’s not too late. Fill the tank and hit the
road to holiday destinations even Santa
would recommend – some with international
flair.
Experiencing a German, French or
Swedish holiday no longer requires a passport.
Just grab a roadmap and set a course
for Hermann, Ste. Genevieve or Bishop’s
Hill.
Frohliche Weihnachten in Hermann
Nestled in what’s considered the German
Rhineland of Missouri, Hermann is the
epicenter for the state’s German culture.
Founded in the 1830s, Hermann welcomes
visitors longing to celebrate a truly German
Christmas.
The holidays kick off Nov. 29 with the
city’s Annual Lantern Parade and Tree
Lighting in its historic district. Along with
a slate of Christmas concerts, carriage rides
and holiday exhibits, visitors can indulge
The Hermann Farm historic site invites visitors
to experience Christmas Past.
[Photo courtesy of VisitHermann.com]
in “Just Say Cheese” – a wine and cheese
pairing event Dec. 14-15 sponsored by the
Hermann Wine Trail. This event spotlights
six of the Trail’s acclaimed wineries. Two
of those wineries, Stone Hill Winery and
Hermannhof, also welcome the season
with German Christmas markets. Kriskindl
Markt at Stone Hill is Dec. 7-8, and Christkindl
Markt at Hermannhof is Dec. 14-15.
To explore old world German traditions,
visit Deutschheim State Historic Site or
Hermann Farm. Deutschheim preserves
Missouri’s 19th century German American
heritage at its two sites, the Pommer-
Gentner and the Strehly House. Each will
be bedecked in winter greenery and illuminated
by lantern light. Sample German
lebkuchen or springerle cookies while
strolling the site, which may also be visited
by Belsnickel. Clad in fur and bearing gifts
like St. Nicholas, this folklore legend from
southwest Germany is more grumpy than
jolly. But you might be able to sweeten
him up if you share your soft, gingerbread
lebkuchen or an anise-flavored springerle
cookie.
At Hermann Farm, near Hermannhof
winery, is a collection of historic structures
dating from a 1790s-era trading post to the
1847 Teubner-Husmann House where visitors
can step back in time.
God Jul at Bishop Hill
Nestled in western Illinois, the Swedish
Festival of Lights is preserved and
presented each yuletide season at Bishop
Hill. Founded by Swedish immigrants in
1846, Bishop Hill glows with candlelight
in anticipation of St. Lucia, Queen of Light,
whose feast day is Friday, Dec. 13.
According to legend, Lucia appeared
in Sweden during a time of famine wearing
a white robe and a crown of candles,
bringing a ship filled with food. Once the
food was unloaded, Lucia and the ship dis-