It's just over six weeks until Strasbourg opens France's biggest Christmas Market, but there are murmurs of discontent mixed with the happy anticipation because of a city ban on some popular products at the market.
Local authorities, anxious to promote local products and artisans, have notified stallholders of a list of things that can't be sold this year, a list that's upset many of the vendors who have already bought or stocked goods for the market that opens November 25th and runs for a month.
On the banned list: Champagne, tartiflette, raclette, popcorn, donuts, grilled chicken, umbrellas, ponchos, baskets, caps and pet toys. Many of the listed items have local equivalents that can continue to be sold; instead of potato-cheese tartiflette, there's a local munstiflette, and in place of Champagne, there's locally-produced crémant d’Alsace, a sparkling wine produced by the same methods.
The ban on umbrellas, ponchos and dog toys is based on authorities' desire for more emphasis on quality and less on mass-produced kitsch. The city has promised a 'dialogue' with sellers who already ordered now-banned products.
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