Tens of thousands at Dresden Stollen Festival - Special parade

Dresden celebrated its world-famous Christmas delicacy with a parade and a real Christmas stollen weighing almost two tons. Tens of thousands of onlookers lined the streets as the 2.80 meter long and 1.40 meter wide traditional pastry was pulled through the old town on a float - for the first time with a parade of Stollen Girls. At the Altmarkt, the Striezel - an old term for the Dresden Christmas stollen - was assembled from numerous slabs and sold for charity; according to the organizers, the 3,300 pieces were gone in less than two hours.

18 former and current Stollen Girls took part

In the Dresden Christmas Stollen history procession, the Stollen bakers, confectioners and craftspeople were joined by the Stollen bakers, confectioners, craftsmen, chimney sweeps and the current Stollen Girl Lorna Prenzel, 18 of her predecessors in the office of ambassador for the pastry also took part. On arrival at the Striezelmarkt, people were already crowding around the stage, where the festive pastry was cut up with the 1.60 meter long and twelve kilogram Stollen knife made according to the historical model and distributed to those waiting.

"The Christmas season is also a celebration of Saxon craftsmanship," said Minister President Michael Kretschmer. "The Stollen is a Saxon cultural asset" that brings a piece of home to distant places around the world. For Lord Mayor Dirk Hilbert, the Stollen Festival combines tradition, craftsmanship and community spirit "in a unique way". And the first Stollen Girl Parade shows "how alive Dresden customs still are today".

The annual spectacle has been held since 1994 and is based on a legendary festival held by Saxony's famous Elector Augustus the Strong in the 18th century: the "Zeithainer Lust". As a highlight, a giant stollen was baked there in a specially constructed oven, pulled into the camp in a ceremonial procession and cut with a stollen knife specially made for this purpose.