'Tis the Season

As we have passed the official start date for the Christmas season, (Hello? The day after Thanksgiving and not one day sooner!) Chicagoland is putting on its holiday best.

I have learned that Daley Plaza is the crux of all things holiday fun in the loop, and this Christmas is no exception. The star of the Plaza is a gigantic Christmas tree right on Washington Street. It's not all one tree though (thanks to Chris for ruining that particularly impossible holiday illusion)... still, it's pretty impressive.

The rest of the Plaza is filled with small wooden shacks filled with gift-giving goodness as in the Kristkindl markets of Bavaria. I was impressed with the authenticity of the whole thing- tree ornaments, blown glass, carved wooden toys, lace work, roasted nuts and German chocolate- and only one stall selling churros!

Let's compare, shall we?

Can you guess which is which?

One is in Garmish, at the foot of Zugspitze, the tallest mountain of der German Alps.



The other is in the center of the Second City, at the foot of... City Hall.





OK, so maybe it wasn't that hard to guess which is which, but really, Chicago's attempt is pretty close, considering we're half the world away.




All it needs is an oompah band and some crazy person to jump onstage. Oh wait, maybe that's been done.