Love the boot-shaped Christkindlmarket mugs? 2018 design will break your heart

The Christkindlmarket’s annual souvenir mugs were unveiled Friday — but the boot’s not back.

This year’s mugs are heart-shaped, an homage to the market theme for this year, “Ich liebe Christkindlmarket” or “I love Christkindlmarket.” It was inspired by gingerbread hearts given out at German fairs, according to a news release.

The mug is green and features a Chicago skyline complete with the Navy Pier Ferris wheel and Willis Tower.

The Christkindlmarket will be open Nov. 16 through Dec. 24 in Daley Plaza (50 W. Washington). A market preview party takes place from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Nov. 15. Admission for this special event ($25-$140, and can include various perks such as food, drink, dessert tickets) are available at christkindlmarket.com.

The mugs have been a feature of the market — which started in 1996 and was moved to Daley Plaza the following year — since its inception. The beloved boot shape went away in 2013, but came back after an outcry in 2015. But it was gone again in 2016 and 2017.

The market will be open between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. It will close at 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.

Mugs will also be sold at the market’s locations in Naperville and Milwaukee. Milwaukee’s mug boasts a blue interior and features elements of the Wisconsin city’s skyline. Naperville’s mug is pink. All of the mugs show people shopping at the market’s booths under a starry sky.

Also available this year: an “Oma” or grandma snowman mug with heart-shaped buttons down the snowman’s front. (It’s the perfect accompaniment to last year’s “Opa” (grandpa) snowman mug).

The mugs (which hold .2 liters of your favorite beverage) will cost $6 each or $8 with the purchase of spiced wine, hot chocolate or hot cider, said Kate Bleeker, the expansion and market development director of German American Events, a branch of the German American Chamber of Commerce. She added that the snowman cannot be purchased with alcohol because it is a children’s mug. If you can’t make it to all three market locations, the mugs are also available in a 3-pack gift set for $20 (one mug from each market. while supplies last).

Miss the boot? Some of the previous year’s mugs can be purchased online. Prices range from $10 to $25.

Contributing: Miriam Di Nunzio