My Czech Republic Blog

Blog written by two Prague residents about life in the Czech Republic.

Prague Christmas Markets

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The dates and opening times of this year’s Prague Christmas markets have been announced. The markets on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square will run from December 2 to January 1 and will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends. The markets will close around noon on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24). Food stands at the markets keep longer hours and can stay open until midnight.

You can find lots of information about Prague Christmas markets and other events in the Prague Christmas section on My Czech Republic.

Little Souls

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Today is All Souls’ Day. If you look at a Czech calendar, November 2nd will say Památka zesnulých (a remembrance of those who have passed), but everyone calls the day dušičky (little souls). People sometimes compare this old tradition to Halloween, but the two don’t have much in common. Dušičky is a quiet time in the Czech Republic. People visit the graves of family members and relatives to light candles, lay flowers and wreaths and spend a few moments. If All Souls’ Day falls on a work day, trips to the cemetery are often taken during the preceding weekend.

The flickering glow of hundreds of freshly lit candles makes the atmosphere at cemeteries during dušičky time quite beautiful. Needless to say, the weather is often cold or rainy, but it doesn’t stop people from observing the tradition.

A Blue Christmas Tree

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The Christmas tree on Wenceslas Square is blue this year. I don’t mean that it has a bluish tone. And it’s not a blue spruce either. It’s not a spruce at all. It’s an artificial tree and when darkness falls, the flashing blue pyramid could be transported directly to the Vegas Strip.

Someone must have had a last minute idea to do an artificial tree this year, so the guys at Taiko probably ran to the artificial tree supplier and were told, “You know what? You’re a little late but we got one left in the back. It’s blue. I’ll give you a good deal on it.”

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Happy Mikuláš!

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It’s St. Nicholas Day tomorrow, so Jeff and I went to look at the Old Town Square to see the Mikuláš processions (you can read more about the tradition here). It was more fun than I expected. We got there a little after 5 p.m. and things were slowly getting going. The first groups of Mikuláš, Angel and Devil were starting to appear, causing all the kids to stare with curiosity and wide-eyed awe. The best Mikuláš and Devil we saw came all the way from the town of Telč and stationed themselves in front of the regioninfo office to promote their Highlands region, hand out koláče and impress the kids. Their costumes were really top notch!

After dinner at Kolkovna, we came back to the square around 6:30 p.m. and the action was in full swing. Small groups consisting of various renditions of St. Nicholas with his beard and cane, the Devil with his chain and sack, and the occasional winged Angel were surrounded by families and onlookers. The children obediently recited poems and bashfully accepted candy for their efforts. Foreign tourists watched with interest and took pictures. Everyone seemed in a good mood.

We made an interesting observation. There were far more Devils than Angels on the streets. Does this say anything about the Czech character? 🙂

St. Nicholas Tradition on the Old Town Square in Prague     St. Nicholas, the Angel and the Devils with the Old Town Hall in the Background