During the build up to Christmas, festive decorations and Christmas markets gradually began to fill towns and cities across the South-East.

Christmas markets have and will continue to be popular places for locals and tourists to go to in order for them to embrace the festive spirit. Christmas markets were first started in Germany, almost 700 years ago. Now the German tradition has spread throughout the world, making the advent period more festive and also allows people to experience German culture. The Christmas market (Weihnachtsmarkt) in Aachen, famous for its Aachener Printen (a traditional type of Lebkuchen), showed a true example of what a typical market looks like.

In London, each year the winter market comes to Southbank. This year, the market brought a large selection of bars and small festive street-food stands for visitors, as well as multiple stalls selling Christmas items. Across the Thames, in the middle of the large central courtyard at Somerset House, a huge Christmas tree, almost 10 metres high was surrounded by an ice rink. Despite the cold conditions leading up to Christmas, it was warming to see people come to various attractions to experience the lead up to Christmas together.