If you’ve made it this far through the post, I should add that these animations in no way represent all German Christmas markets. These images were taken at a particularly tacky market that concerns itself more with drinking and rides (vs. those focused on drinking, eating, and shopping). You can find this crazy light show behind the Alexa shopping center for basically all of December (and maybe a bit into January) each year. For a considerably nicer/calmer/quieter experience simply walk a few hundred meters to the Fernsehturm/Alexanderplatz and check out the market in front of the Berlin Rathaus.
Fröhliche Weihnachten!