In December, the New Market area in Kolkata transforms into a bustling Christmas market. For years, families, especially those celebrating Christmas, throng Hogg Market for all their holiday essentials. From delicious baked goodies to beautiful home decorations, this market in the heart of the city has it all. Even today, it is almost unimaginable for many Christian families in Kolkata to not visit New Market for Christmas shopping; it is a cherished tradition. This year, My Kolkata explored the area to find some top picks for the season.
Nativity set
A Nativity set is a set of figurines of baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph along with the three wise men, angels, shepherds and farm animals. It signifies the night of Jesus’s birth in a stable, also known as the Nativity scene. Until recently, finding Nativity sets in the city was tough. Most shops had basic 3D cut-outs or poorly-finished dolls. However, this time we found Nativity sets with great finishing and in various sizes. You can find them in the Paper Decoration shop inside Hogg Market — yes, that’s the name of the shop, close to Nahoum & Sons — and stalls near Simpark Mall.
Price: Starts from Rs 450
Christmas trees
Christmas without a tree makes for a rather blue Yuletide season! But fear not, in New Market, you’ll find trees no matter what size or kind you need. The trees are available in different variants too — some are adorned with pines and cherries and others have a faux snowy touch. From tiny one-inch trees to 12-foot giants, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Find them inside Hogg Market, at the Christmas decor stalls opposite Nizam’s on Hogg Street, and in Simpark Mall.
Price: Rs 10 for tiny Christmas trees, Rs 450 for 3-4ft trees
Ornaments, streamers and wreaths
Christmas tree ornaments and decorations come in a variety of new looks. Apart from bells, baubles, stars and gift boxes, there are several little collectibles like snowflakes, mistletoes, candy canes and more. Mistletoe wreaths are available in various sizes, and there are are shimmery streamers to decorate your home with! Stalls near Simpark Mall and on Hogg Street have more varieties.
Price: Ornaments start at Rs 5; Streamers begin at Rs 30; Wreaths start at Rs 150
Santas and reindeer
In New Market and Mirza Ghalib Street, you'll discover an amazing collection of Santa plushies and life-size Santa dolls. There are reindeers, too, in different sizes. If you are planning to have a fun corner at your Christmas party, these are a perfect pick. There are battery-operated dancing Santa dolls too! Isn’t that cute!
Price: Starts at Rs 450
Santa hats and dress
Need a Santa suit for the season? You will find Santa dresses for both kids and adults at the stalls near Simpark Mall, and you can spot Santa hats almost everywhere in Esplanade. There are reindeer horns as headgear, Christmas-themed funny glasses and more! Make sure you survey the market a bit for the best price.
Price: Santa’s dress from Rs 250; Hats at Rs 25; Other gear from Rs 50
Table lamps and string lights
Near a stall selling lights close to Simpark Mall, we found some cute snowman-shaped table lamps, starry string lights and more. The stall has a wide range of Christmassy lights, similar to the ones found on Ezra Street. The table lamps could make perfect gifts, while the string lights will add that holiday glow to your living space.
Price: Starts at Rs 150
Christmas gift bags
Add a touch of Christmas magic to your gifts with themed gift bags, available at the Paper Decoration store inside Hogg Market. Just right for holding small gifts!
Price: Starts at Rs 30
Christmas-themed pens
Another cute item to fill into the children’s goodie bags or stockings! These cute festive-perfect pens come with a little Christmas tree, snowman or Santa Claus fixture. Available in two sizes, you can buy them from the shops near Simpark Mall.
Price: Starts at Rs 100
Christmas cakes at heritage confectioneries
In Kolkata, it is a tradition to buy Christmas cakes from Nahoum & Sons. However, there are two other confectioneries in New Market that have a dedicated customer base — Imperial Bakers and Confectioners and Mullick Confectioners. They are also often another choice for those who don’t want to stand in a long queue at Nahoum’s. From rich fruit cakes to special plum cakes, you can get your hands on a variety of Christmas cakes at these traditional confectioneries.
Price: Starts at 120
Rose cookies and coconut macaroons
Rose cookies and coconut macaroons are those staple Christmas sweeties that make up the flavours of the season! Rose cookies are crispy and mildly sweet, while coconut macaroons are hard on the outside and chewy on the inside with a dense flavour of coconut. These are snacks that usually find a place in the Christmas hamper or during tea-time with a slice of cake as a quick tidbit. One can find them at the shops and confectioneries in Hogg Market near the gate at Hogg Street [Close to this store on Google Maps].
Price: Starts at Rs 35 for a packet
Candies, marshmallows and jujubes
Candies, marshmallows and jujubes are a must to fill up those Christmas stockings and goodie bags! Jujubes are soft jelly candies covered with sugar and come in red, pink, yellow and green colours. There are also marshmallows and marshmallow sticks available in various shapes of animals, fruits, veggies and cartoons. There are also chocolates and candies that the shopkeepers claim to be imported. Well, imported or not, these are really cute to look at and taste good too! These are available in almost all the stores and confectionaries inside New Market.
Price: Rs 5 upwards
