Flatiron's Christmas Market

When you break it down, it’s no surprise Christmas is such a beloved time of year. As snow softly falls outside, families and friends are gathered inside, closely huddled together over warm cocoa and holiday cheer. With lights strung about, the tree stands grandly in a corner, festively decorated with years of gathered decorations and memories. This time of year people tend to act a little nicer to one another and this spirit is shown through gift-giving born of genuine goodwill.

Of all those fuzzy-feely factors, none has made a bigger impression on Ted Genova, owner of Flatiron’s Christmasmarket, than the Christmas decorations. He remembers trekking near the Swiss Alps and being absolutely struck by the importance the Swiss placed on delicately crafted ornaments at their Christmas markets. “When I was 30 years old, I left Toronto and moved to Europe for a year and my partner and I met a man in Basel, Switzerland, who had a very famous Christmas store in Switzerland,” he recalls. “He sort of inspired us because he had old-world glass ornaments. And as far as I can remember, I had not seen those since Eaton’s on College Street had closed in the 70s.” Ted returned home, an idea brewing in his head.