The European Christmas market tradition dates back to medieval times when townspeople were allowed to shop for a day or two at a local market to stock up on food, supplies, and other household goods to prepare for the long-awaited winter. Cushy, right?The first true Christmas market, (Striezelmarkt), was first held in 1434 in Dresden, Germany. Since then, Germany welcomes nearly 85 million people every year to its iconic Christmas markets.