'Tis the season to be jolly, and nothing brings about that warm fuzzy feeling quicker that a trot around a festive fair. Even the stroppiest Scrooge and biggest humbug can’t pass through without getting caught up in the revelry and leave feeling bestowed with Christmas spirit.

In the UK, choosing the right Christmas market for you can be a tricky business: do you like the glitz and over-the-top festivity of big commercial fairs, or do you prefer the smaller artisanal market up the road? One of the most popular markets in the UK, seeing thousands of visitors from across the globe, is Bath Christmas Market. This festive affair combines the best of both worlds, and offers something for everyone. Locally-based stall holders, artisan gifts, Santa’s Grotto, an ice rink and plenty of mulled wine and carolling are all to be found in the historical streets of this beautiful heritage city.

So, it was here that we decided to test out the best and worst of the Christmas market experience. Having tried all that’s on offer, and spoken to a few festive members of the public, we have compiled the do’s and don’ts, the must and must nots, of the bizarre world of Yuletide bazaars.

 

DO NOT

Burst into song

The Christmas cheer can sometimes hit overwhelming levels, and that ‘warm fuzzy feeling’ can stray towards boiling point. This is no excuse to lose all sense of shame and burst into song, like a character from the Oliver! musical overcome with emotion. Even worse is the token whistler, parping ‘Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer’ at an excruciatingly high-pitched tootle. Don’t be that person, leave it to the choir. 

Take too many selfies

In fact, refrain from taking any if possible. They inevitably take your fancy halfway between two stalls, just as a fairy, elf of Father Christmas passes by and you grab the chance at a snap. Doing so holds up the crowds, stops Santa keeping to his schedule and will probably be photo-bombed by some ‘funny guy’ lurking in the background. 

Try the chilli chocolate

Every market seems to include a stall selling artisan flavour-infused chocolate, whether it’s the Christmas edition or the regular Saturday morning line-up. More often than not, a super-hot chilli-stuffed version is available, laid out in bite size chunks for tasting. More often than not, it is too tempting to resist but sure to result in pain. Sample at your peril and plan to spend the next half-hour desperately gulping a pint of milk.

 

DO

Take the road less travelled

We recommend going backwards. Locate the furthest-away stall and start from here. This way, you get a good gander at the back, and end up at the front few stalls with slightly more breathing room. This only works if you attend at peak time, like everyone else does. Which you will. 

Grab a mulled hand warmer

No one can argue that mulled wine isn’t bloomin’ delicious, but it has other benefits. It offers your hands a great source of heat for at least twenty minutes – double-up your paper cup and it will pump out heat for even longer., so grab a glass of Glühwein and get your booze blanket on. 

Taste everything

Tasters are an integral part of the market experience.  This is not the time to be ashamed of hovering around stalls for a little too long or back-tracking to those with the best offerings. Chocolate liqueurs, the yummiest nuts ever and creamy crumbly cheeses were the best on offer in Bath this year.

Hit the pub

The real satisfaction seeps in – along with the returning warmth to your fingers – whilst sat in a pub surrounded by festive purchases. Only here can you gloat over the number of people ticked off your present list, all in the space of a few hours. 

 

 

If you're looking for lovely Christmas markets to visit, check out our blog post for this year's top festive fairs.