Canterbury Cathedral Resumes Christmas Market After 200 Years

The grounds of Canterbury Cathedral are once again hosting a Christmas market, marking its return after a 200-year absence. The cathedral’s festive market originally commenced in 1383 and grew in popularity before its closure in 1813. This contemporary Christmas market, scheduled to open on Friday, is set to feature food and drink vendors, a vintage-style carousel, and live musical acts. It will serve as an expansion of the current festive market that already extends across the city centre. The cathedral itself has organized a comprehensive schedule of Christmas events, drawing inspiration from the theme of ‘Journeys’, which includes a life-size indoor nativity crib scene. The enlarged Christmas market in Canterbury is slated to commence with the Christmas Light Parade and will remain open through Christmas Eve. Lisa Carlson, CEO of Canterbury Business Improvement District, commented: “This is a really key time of year for our businesses community, of which over 68% are independent, so we hope to see lots of people making a beeline for Canterbury over the coming weeks.”