Alliance Française hosts a winter market for Christmas

Karachi welcomed the festive season with a vibrant Christmas market at the Alliance Française de Karachi. Inspired by traditional European Christmas markets but infused with distinctly local colors, the one-day event attracted large crowds from across the city.

The venue was decked out in the classic Christmas colors of red, white and gold, while live performances from Nixar Records, St Anthony’s Choir and The In Time Band entertained the crowd throughout the day.

The storytelling segment featured Nida Farid, who presented The Extraordinary Life of Riza session that was warmly received by children and adults alike.

The food stalls offered an impressive mix of traditional and international flavours, from classic Christmas turkey, flatbreads, birria tacos and chargrilled burgers to pani puri, pasta, cinnamon rolls, brownies and Christmas themed coffee.

For families, the market served as an ideal weekend outing. Children participated in Santa’s Treasure Hunt, Christmas crafts, mehndi, Pot-A-Plant and Spin the Wheel.

Among the many stalls, one that stood out belonged to Genesis, a shelter for girls who have survived forced conversions and early marriages.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Genesis spokesperson Sijal Shafique said, “We have launched a small brand for these girls. They were once victims, but today they are survivors. They have created small handicrafts – bangles and other items – and want to sell them so that they can earn independently, regain confidence and support their families.”

He said, “The beauty of this market is that although the organizer herself is a Muslim, this is a Christmas market and minorities are welcomed here with open arms. You don’t usually see Christmas celebrated like this in Pakistan, especially in Karachi. Here, people were singing carols together without any discrimination, which is rarely seen.”

Sijal said the event is inclusive in every way, “It’s not just Christmas-themed products. You’ll find regular wear and everyday items as well. It’s like any public festival where anyone can come and buy anything. We call it the Christmas Market simply because it’s held during the Christmas season.”

Speaking to The Express Tribune, event organizer Irum shared the genesis of the idea.

“We used to celebrate Christmas very casually. I’m Muslim too, but our family always celebrated Christmas. Covid changed that, it made us stop and think. There was so much sadness, loneliness and unemployment at that time, but the women showed enormous resilience and started small businesses at home.”

According to her, “most of the businesses you see here today were started during Covid by women. There is nothing imported, everything is local, handmade and authentically Pakistani”.

He added, “The transgender community is also present here. Since they don’t have their own church, they have created a separate space. We also have ‘Jhankar’, an organization that runs an ambulance service for animals – which offers spaying, neutering and vaccination before sending them back.”

“The stall from the Pakistan Navy Special Children’s School is outstanding, these children create things with amazing skill. Artisans from Thar like Sunita and Sangeeta also display their craft.”

Anand Kumar of Tharparker said, “We have created a unique range of hoodies by incorporating traditional ralli patchwork into modern designs. This blend of heritage and contemporary style features patterns crafted by our artisans in Thar and Umarkot. We recently launched the collection, starting in Karachi, and now expanding to Lahore Islamabad.”

The organizer emphasized the real essence of the market, The goal is simple: to support local small businesses and women.

Visitors expressed happiness that Karachi is increasingly embracing global traditions such as festive markets, which not only enrich the cultural life of the city but also promote harmony between religions and communities.