Blog written by two Prague residents about life in the Czech Republic.
Tubs filled with live carp have been out at many places around Prague since Monday. Carp is the main part of Czech Christmas dinner on December 24 and is usually served with potato salad. The majority of Christmas carp comes from the ponds of Třeboň in Southern Bohemia where it is specially raised.
Some people buy carp live and keep it in the bathtub for a few days to entertain their children. A strange custom, I know.
Remember our blue Christmas tree from last year? Were you curious, just like we were, what the Taiko team would come up with this year? How can they beat last year’s Wenceslas Square wonder?
The wait is finally over and we are not disappointed. Yes, I gave it away in the title. The tree is purple! Amazingly, glitterily purple, beckoning from afar as Wenceslas Square’s new temporary icon.
I know it’s early, but why not have a little fun and try to predict next year’s dashing color choice? My guess is turquoise.
December 5th is when Czechs celebrate the old tradition of St. Nicholas (Mikuláš). Last year, Jeff and I went to the Old Town Square in the evening and we were surprised to see so much action. Groups consisting of St. Nicholas, the Angel and the Devil (some wearing very impressive costumes) walked around the square, stopping to talk to little children who were there with their parents. The children, awe in their eyes, obediently sang songs and recited shy poems in exchange for sweets and praise. Foreign tourists with curious smiles on their faces and cameras in hand obviously enjoyed being in the midst of this peculiar Czech pre-Christmas tradition. It was all cute and a lot more fun than I had anticipated.
In case you don’t know what the Mikuláš tradition is about, we write about it on My Czech Republic.
Happy Mikuláš!
The Christmas market on Peace Square (Náměstí Míru) opened on Monday. I dropped by a couple of days ago and was surprised to see how busy it was. Shoppers were finding lots of dárky and doplňky, along with the usual market staples of medovina, svařené víno, and trdelník.
Tomorrow, the Christmas market opens at Republic Square (Náměstí Republiky). The biggest markets, which are on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square, open next weekend. We have details on our Prague Christmas Markets page.