Inflation, energy crisis and Ukraine war - the visitors of the Wiesbaden Shooting Star Market apparently can't spoil the Christmas anticipation.

The market in the city center has been running for a week and the vast majority of traders are satisfied.

The gastronomic stands in particular cannot complain about a lack of customers in the evening hours.

At the weekend, the people of Wiesbaden and many guests from the surrounding area crowded together in front of the stands around the town hall and in front of the market church.

If you wanted to drink a mulled wine, you had to be patient.

After two years of Corona, people are drawn back under the festively illuminated lilies.

"People are smiling and our customers are much more relaxed again," says Andrea Klein on Tuesday, describing her experiences after the first week of the market.

The Wiesbaden native has been selling at the Christmas market for more than 20 years and is therefore good at assessing the mood and buying behavior.

There can be no question of reluctance to buy, she says, pointing to glowing snow globes, Christmas tree decorations and many other accessories for the festival.

Her colleague Claudia Arlt was at the market with the children at the weekend: "It was so full.

No mouse could get through that anymore.”

"People want out"

Anneliese Barth is also satisfied.

Yeast dumplings, waffles and many other delicacies are available at the stand of the Zotzenheim showman family Barth on the right in front of the town hall - and business is good.

"People want out.

It's so nice, we see all our regular customers again," she says.

"After two years of Corona, we are satisfied with everything, and people are just happy that they can finally get out again." The weekend was very good, it feels like before the pandemic.

Barth should know that because she and her family have been selling at the Wiesbaden Christmas market for more than 30 years.

Also in front of the town hall is the stand with the products of the Frankfurter Hof from Nordenstadt.

"It's going really well," says Julian Konorski.

People come to him and his team to eat Handkäs' bratwurst and drink hot cider.

Last year, reports Konorski, the stand had to close after two weeks because it just wasn't profitable.

It was completely different this year, especially at the weekend, customers were crowded around the stand.

There is a nice ritual: the team cheers loudly with every tip.

"The good years are over!"

But not all dealers are happy.

"The weekend was very good," says Christiane Jahn from the Heise beekeeping farm in the Spessart, "but nothing is going on today."

In her opinion, consideration should be given to closing the shooting star market on Mondays and maybe also on Tuesdays.

She is convinced that the same number of guests will come on the other days.

But she doesn't feel any reluctance to buy due to inflation, the candles and wax fir trees and honey find enough buyers.

"But we haven't increased the prices yet," says Jahn.

Steffen Schulz from Café Siefert in Michelstadt is standing in front of the market church with cookies, pastries and stollen.

Schulz has also been selling his sweets at the shooting star market for 17 years, but he is more pessimistic about the future than his colleagues.

“The good years are over!” Although he is pleased that his regular customers still come to him, he regrets: “Most people come in the evening to drink mulled wine and eat a bratwurst.

The shops only run until 6 p.m., after that it's over for us.

Things are going better in gastro.”

Schleich horses

Lorenzo Köhler makes a very relaxed impression.

He sells Rothenburg snow globes at his stand behind the town hall.

Business is good, some varieties are already sold out and he has to wait for supplies.

What bothers him the most is the weather.

“People like to be cold.

It's good for the Christmas spirit.

The rain is a nuisance,” he says, examining the sky.

Barbara Braun sells small porcelain angels, Schleich horses, unicorns and star-shaped Christmas lamps at her stand, which is quite far on the edge between the Hessian state parliament and the market church.

How are the shops doing?

"People buy," she answers the question and beams.

Then she points up to where the lamps hang and says: "Stars always go very well."