Budapest boasts one of the best: the market on Vörösmarty tér is not only overflowing with woollen socks, handcrafted angels, leather goods, frying sausages throwing up clouds of smoke, wooden toys and colourful pottery, it also has a continuous programme of festive folk music, although vendors are complaining about constant noise from a nearby construction site.This year, the purveyors of handicrafts had to fulfil certain quality criteria before being allowed to set out their stalls at the market. More than 100 traditional artisans have stalls, and they all carry the approval of the Népmuvészeti Egyesületek Szövetségének (Association of Folk Arts Societies). The quality of some of the wares bears testament ot the success of this policy. A gathering of visitors stood entranced while watching a man sitting at a blue flame fashion a beautifully delicate crystal leaf from glass. It is nice to know one’s Christmas gifts and decorations weren’t fuelling oppression, glued together by shoeless four-year olds in an east Asian sweatshop.

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Posted: 12|6|05 at 10:09 am. Filed under: News.