The beauty of an Austrian Christmas is the tradition that permeates the holiday. Beginning with Advent, there is a steady buildup to Christmas Day. Every square and every shopping street is decorated, and there are many Christmas Markets around town selling gifts, decorations, Christmas cookies, candy, sausages, and punch with the smell of cinnamon wafting in the air. Gingerbread houses, hand carved and painted angels and figures for the creche, delicate decorations made of egg shells, painted and pierced, trees ladened with lights and strings of lights overhead made the memories of this season even more precious and more festive. Music abounds here as does the ringing of church bells. Austria is a religious country, predominantly  Roman Catholic. The citizens here prepared to celebrate the event and made the most of it. Fruit and vegetable markets brought special produce, as did the butchers offer Christmas treats with special meats  and other delicacies. In spite of that, Christmas here doesn’t seem to be commercial, though retailers have decorated their shops with the finest of wares, captivating the Christmas shoppers and encouraging the giving of gifts. Henry and I were happy we chose to be in Austria for Christmas, and loved being in this close community of Salzburg as the holiday drew near. It was a wonderful event, happily and solemnly embraced by all.

PHOTOS: Left Column: 1. Handmade figures in a creche. 2. Silver and gold ornaments hang from a stall at one of the Christmas Markets, Weihnactsmarkte. 3. A shop window artfully and abundantly decorated with ornaments. Center, Top: A Christmas wreath on an 18th century door. Center, Middle: An artfully decorated Christmas tree with feathers, painted eggs, and straw ornaments. Center, Bottom:  Gingerbread Houses of all sizes and shapes offered for sale in the Christmas Market. Right Column: 1. A hand carved and painted angel, made in Salzburg by a master wood carver. 2. The image of Mozart painted on a Christmas ornament. 3. Delicate glass Santas, each with a pearlized beard.