No two Christmas Chalets are alike!
If you look up the word chalet in Webster's Dictionary, it is defined as "a wooden dwelling with a sloping roof and widely overhanging eaves, common in Switzerland and other Alpine regions." The term chalet originated in Arpitan-speaking regions of Switzerland and Savoy, and originally referred to a herder's hut. It is derived from the medieval Latin calittum, which may in turn come from an Indo-European root, cala, that means 'shelter'.
The word 'chalet' is also used to describe the small wooden huts that make up a Swiss Christmas Market. The front face of the chalet is split lengthwise, and hinges downward to open the booth for business. It can be closed up easily at night, and quickly re-established in the morning.
How a vendor chooses to decorate the chalet varies noticeably from market to market. Some are quaint with green ferns covering each roof, as in the picture below.
A Christmas chalet on the Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich.
Other vendors choose to decorate their booths with a bit more flair, draping both the inside and outside of the chalet with fabric, colored lights and even garlands, similar to those shown in the two pictures below.
And others choose to really go all out, and make a statement with lots of flair!
Below are other examples of vendors selling various Christmas decorations, gifts, or food.
A vendor selling ceramic figurines.
A vendor selling baked breads, cookies, and other sweets.
A vendor selling ornaments and gifts carved from wood and decorated for the holidays.
Even one that was selling toys, music makers, and various trinkets.
Doug purchased a beautifully turned wooden bowl of Nussbaum (walnut) at this chalet in the Rapperswil Christmas Market. He uses it to corral a small wooden top I bought for him later.
At this chalet, Doug purchased small specimens of boulder opal in ironstone, imported from a mine in Queensland, Australia.
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