At home. The traditions of Czech Christmas are significantly different from Russian, German, or even more so American. There's not even Santa Claus or Father Frost or anything like that here.
December 5 is celebrated (St. Nicholas). St. Nicholas in many countries is the prototype of Santa Claus, Father Frost and other key Christmas characters. In the Czech Republic, Mikulas can only be seen on December 6th with his historical retinue of an angel and a devil:
If a child behaved badly last year, then the devil will give him a coal. If it’s good, the angel gives the desired gift. In many public places these days, the devil scares adults by jumping around corners. It is easy to distinguish Mikulas from Santa Claus by his Catholic headdress and characteristic staff.
Homemade Christmas
The main event takes place on the night of December 24-25. In Czech, Christmas is called Vánoce (from the German "Weihnachten" through many transformations - Czech has very close connections with German). The main character of the holiday is Ježíšek, little Jesus. It’s very strange, but it is he who brings gifts for the Czechs under the Christmas tree. On December 6th it is publicly given as a gift by Mikulas, and hidden under the tree by Yezhishek.
The holiday is purely at home, people do not go out anywhere and spend the whole night at the table. In general, you should not get up from the table; the hostess should have everything at hand. Even if someone came and knocked on the door after the start of the feast, you cannot get up and open it.
There must be an even number of guests; problematic cases are compensated by an empty plate at the table. And to play next year, you have to sit on the corner of the table.
Fortune telling is common. The most popular is fortune telling with apples: cut an apple and look at the cut of the seeds. If the bones form a star, then everything will be fine. If there is a cross, you should expect trouble. Also sold everywhere are kits for putting on tin drops; they heat it up and drop it into water, then use the shape of the frozen drop to determine the future.
And just as in Russia every New Year’s Eve the film “The Irony of Fate” is shown on TV, so in the Czech Republic the Soviet film “Morozko” and the fairy tale “3 Nuts for Cinderella”, filmed in the GDR and Czechoslovakia, are ritualized on December 24th. This film about Cinderella is also very popular in Germany and Norway. From year to year, from decade to decade, they are shown during the festive feast.
Christmas attributes
Of course, every Christmas the Czechs put up and decorate beautiful Christmas trees. In large cities they prefer to install artificial ones in apartments, while in small Czech families they decorate their own Christmas trees in their courtyards. Huge live spruce trees are always installed for mass celebrations.
Before Christmas, spruce trees are sold, incl. blue. They are inexpensive, 200 CZK for a regular one and 500 for a blue one. Perhaps this is the price per meter. The Christmas trees are packaged in a special net by pushing them through a cone (taken in Prague):
In small towns, spruce is almost never sold; traditionally, a spruce grows in every yard and is decorated for Christmas. In Poděbrady sales were sluggish:
But the trade in painted mistletoe branches, a purely Czech Christmas symbol, is very brisk everywhere. The Central European peoples adopted the use of this plant from the Celtic tribes who previously lived here, they are easy to notice in the forest in the form of caps on the trees:
Mistletoe sprigs are sold in various designs:
Perhaps the most popular are gold plated ones:
During Christmas, mistletoe sprigs, wreaths, bleached tree branches and candles are used to decorate the house. Wreaths are also sold in all flower shops and are often hung outside. Surprisingly, the Czechs are not afraid to display their goods on the street:
Christmas Czech dishes
Of course, the main thing is. The festive dinner begins with carp fish soup. Next comes fried carp with potato salad. Frying it is not difficult; it is not fundamentally different from preparing other fish. The fish is fried in a mixture of egg and flour, then served with lemon. Some families bake fish in the form of a roll. Sea fish is not used because... this is considered a bad omen.
Potato salad must be served with carp - boiled potatoes, carrots, eggs, onions, pickles, diet sausage. And it is seasoned with mayonnaise, often with mustard, or instead of mayonnaise, a mixture of sour cream and mayonnaise is used. Czechs are very reluctant to use mayonnaise; they consider it a harmful component and therefore in many dishes it is replaced with sour cream. The sale of mayonnaise in supermarkets is also very modest, no more than a couple of items.
Potato salad is almost indistinguishable from Russian Olivier, although Czechs do not know Olivier salad. However, not a single travel agency will invite tourists with Olivier salad - everyone calls it potato salad.
A special Christmas braided loaf is used as bread.
They wash everything down with good food. As in Russia, it is customary to celebrate midnight with a glass of sparkling wine (in the EU, only sparkling wine produced in Champagne is called champagne). Champagne, wine and other alcoholic drinks are produced in abundance in the Czech Republic. Although copious consumption of strong alcoholic drinks is considered bad form.
Christmas cookies prepared in advance by the housewife bring great joy to the children. It is very tasty; there are no analogues to such sweets in Russia.
Sweet recipes are the pride of the housewife. And they cook a lot of them, because... It is customary to treat neighbors and friends.
Our female teachers treated us generously and gave us tea.
However, capitalism brought the sale of all Christmas delicacies in supermarkets:
German Christmas Trail
The Czech Republic has centuries-old close ties with the Germans, so their traditions are closely ingrained in Czech culture. Some people adhere to a purely Czech Christmas, others are inclined to a mixed one. German Christmas cupcakes (stollen) are sold in supermarkets:
And German sweets:
But Czechs love their own culture very much and are sometimes harsh about borrowing the traditions of other countries.
In the Czech Republic, Advent begins, the time of anticipation for Christmas, when believers prepare for the holiday. Prague is gradually transforming. Christmas trees are being installed in the squares, the streets are blooming with illuminations, and noisy fairs are opening. Life is in full swing, the public is animated, traders are inviting people.
Prague restaurants are also preparing for Christmas, announcing holiday parties well in advance. Pay attention to the posters and signs: you may want to spend a festive evening in one of these establishments.
The homes of the capital's residents are being transformed. Townspeople decorate their front doors with wreaths and their windows with garlands; Every family decorates a Christmas tree. Prague lives in anticipation of the holiday, waiting for Christmas Eve and a magical Christmas night.
Bring home traditional symbols of the Czech Republic, buy gifts with national flavor in Prague.
Christmas sweets
Christmas for Czechs is unthinkable without sweets. Here are a few classics that are worth trying in Prague and be sure to buy as gifts for family and friends.
Cukroví is a traditional Czech Christmas treat. These are little cookies that melt in your mouth. They start baking long before Christmas. Crispy zucrovi cookies or nutty “wasp nests” with cream and chocolate glaze are an indispensable attribute of the Czech Christmas table.
Vanochka (vánočka) is a traditional braided dough made from sweet yeast dough.
Vanochni stola (Vánoční štola) is an analogue of the German “shtola”, a cake with the addition of lemon zest, raisins, candied fruits and almonds.
Painted honey gingerbread cookies are a symbol of Christmas. They are baked long before the holiday: the products must rest for several weeks, become softer, and acquire a special, unique taste.
Vanilla bagels “vanilkove rohlicky” are another type of classic pastry without which you can’t imagine Czech Christmas. Delicate little bagel-shaped cookies are rolled warm in a mixture of powdered sugar and vanilla.
Traditional drinks
In the squares and streets of Prague, in shops and at fairs, warming drinks are sold everywhere. In addition to tea and coffee, you can try Christmas and winter options here: punch, honey, mulled wine.
Holiday menu
If you go to a restaurant these days, you will be offered a special menu made up of classic Christmas dishes. For starters, take carp soup with croutons. Order the Czech holiday appetizer – “wine sausage”, made from several types of meat mixed with white wine. Be sure to try the traditional fried carp - it is served with potato salad, very reminiscent of our Olivier.
It is great luck for tourists to get to the Czech Republic for Christmas. If you are going to celebrate a bright holiday in fabulous Prague, use these tips. We have already figured out what to buy as a gift and what to order for the table. Now let's talk about Czech Christmas traditions, folk customs and signs.
Christmas tale in the Czech Republic
Signs accompanying the arrival of Christmas have been carefully preserved in the Czech Republic since ancient times. On December 24, early in the morning, you need to wash yourself in the icy stream - then good health will be ensured for the whole year. In Czech houses they don’t turn on the lights until the first star. Dinner is served as the star rises.
An even number of people must be invited to dinner. If there is an odd number of guests at the table, the hosts simply put an extra cutlery for an imaginary “guest”. A small talisman is placed under each plate - a coin or a scale of a festive carp. This item is supposed to be kept in a wallet to attract wealth, happiness, and good luck.
Each guest must eat the entire Christmas dinner. Everyone is supposed to get up after a meal at the same time. Leftover food should be buried in the garden under the trees - this is the key to a bountiful harvest next summer. See more about fortune telling on Christmas Eve.
St. Stephen's Day
After midnight mass (Virginia), Christmas comes into its own. On December 25, Czechs are served meat, baked goose, and holiday cookies. “The Second Christmas” is often called December 26th. Since ancient times, Czechs have caroled in the streets on this day. Nowadays, few people decide to sing carols - you can see the ancient custom only in the provinces. On this day, Prague residents continue their home celebrations or visit their relatives. The series of Christmas celebrations ends with the day of St. John the Evangelista (December 27).
On December 31, Czechs celebrate the New Year. On this day, coinciding with, it is customary to visit and congratulate distant relatives.
Procession of the Three Kings
Christmas ends with Three Kings Day. On January 5 at 15:30, three kings-magi on camels and accompanied by carolers will begin the procession from Hradcanska Square, then they will walk along Loretanska Street to Loretanska Square to a living nativity scene to bow to the baby Jesus and present their gifts to him.
How can I save up to 20% on hotels?
It’s very simple - look not only on booking. I prefer the search engine RoomGuru. He searches for discounts simultaneously on Booking and on 70 other booking sites.
The Christmas holiday (Vánoce) in Prague starts from the last week of November until January 5th. During the pre-Christmas and Christmas days, Prague is completely transformed and invites guests into a world of miracles and good gifts. The holiday lasts until the New Year (Nový rok), capturing the first days of the New Year holidays.
NAVIGATION
Celebration atmosphere
The historical center of Prague at any time of the year resembles a fairy-tale city with castles, narrow medieval streets, unique clocks on the towers, and ancient churches.
In December, the capital of the Czech Republic turns into a single festive space with bright illumination, garlands on the streets and in buildings, small and large live Christmas trees at every step.
Music plays on the streets and in shopping centers, folk singing groups perform holiday chants, and traveling puppeteers perform performances based on Christmas themes.
In Prague, at Christmas it is customary to sing carols - sing songs that promise wealth and joy, and receive sweets or other gifts for this.
On Wenceslas Square (Václavské náměstí) there is a small decorated corral with cows, goats, horses, in the center of which there is a manger with the Baby Jesus. In every church and cathedral, nativity scenes are also installed, reproducing the Bethlehem Christmas night. Nativity scenes can be seen in shops, public buildings, and homes.
From December 5 until the New Year 2019, everyone can see with their own eyes St. Nicholas (Svatý Nikolaj) walking around the city with a large shoulder box, distributing gifts to children.
Mikulas (Mikuláš, this is the Czech name for St. Nicholas) goes around the city with his fairy-tale assistants - scary devils and good-natured angels, and even the most sane adults begin to believe in magic. In addition to the Czech Mikulas, citizens and tourists are congratulated by Santa Claus and Grandfather Frost. And Jerzyshek (Ježíška) is a wizard who in the Czech Republic and Slovakia secretly brings gifts under the Christmas tree and announces his appearance by ringing a bell.
With the onset of darkness, fireworks fly into the sky and bright illumination turns on.
According to Catholic tradition, Czechs celebrate the most important days at home or with family:
- Christmas Eve (Štědrý den) December 24;
- Christmas December 25;
- St. Stephen's Day December 26 (Den Svatého Štěpána);
- Day of Jan the Evangelist on December 27 (Den Jana Evangelisty);
- St. Sylvester's Day December 31st (Den Svatého Sylvester);
- Three Kings Day January 5th (Den tří králů).
These days are the most eventful, colorful and interesting in Prague. Residential and public premises in the Czech capital are usually richly decorated with garlands, spruce branches and wreaths, mistletoe and cherry tree branches. Important elements of the decoration are the nativity scene and the figurine of the Child Christ - Jezulátko. The baby figurine should be beautifully dressed and placed under the Christmas tree.
Unusual traders appear on busy streets: they offer to buy live small carp. There is a sign: if you release a live fish into the Vltava River on Christmas Day, happiness and contentment will come to you.
Another exotic custom of Bear Day (Medvědí den, one of the Czech names for Christmas Eve) is to treat the bear so that the whole year will be safe. Live bears can be found in squares and parks and can be appeased with treats that are sold nearby. You can ride a child on a donkey - exactly the same one that Mary and Joseph rode into Bethlehem, awaiting the appearance of Jesus.
Traditional dishes
According to ancient rules, on the evening of Christmas Eve, December 24, there should be a device for an unexpected guest on a table decorated with candles. The table on Generous Evening (Štědrý den), as the Czechs call Christmas Eve, is decorated with 12 Lenten dishes, and each one must be tried.
A mandatory Christmas Eve treat is carp, fried or boiled, as well as carp soup. Moreover, each guest at the Christmas table will not only taste tender fish, but will also receive several scales along with small coins as a symbol of future wealth and prosperity. Potato salad, sauerkraut, and pastries are served with carp. According to an ancient tradition, you need to eat everything that is put on your plates so that the year will be fruitful and abundant.
Dinner on December 25 is not complete without goose, a lot of meat, homemade wine sausage (víno klobása), pies, and pastries. It is not customary to serve rabbit and chicken, otherwise happiness will quickly run away.
Large and small cafes and restaurants invite you to learn how to prepare traditional Czech dishes and taste them together with chefs and pastry chefs. You should definitely try cukroví cookies, honey gingerbread cookies, braided raisin buns (vánočka), vanilla sugar bagels (vanilkove rohlicky), spiced Christmas cupcakes (Vánoční štola), cookies with nuts and rum, Trdelník buns, etc. .
Fairs and sales
The main fairs in Prague take place from the last week of November until December 24th, on the Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí) and Wenceslas Square, as well as on the Republic Square (Náměstí Republiky), Peace Square (Náměstí Míru), Palacki Square (Náměstí Palackého), Jiří s Podebrady Square (Náměstí Ji řího z Poděbrad) and others.
The festive atmosphere that reigns in the square transports guests to a fairy tale: gingerbread houses, fragrant spruce trees, the smell of hot cross buns with cinnamon and vanilla, and a variety of sweets fill the space.
During the holidays there are discounts, so it is very profitable to buy gifts for family and friends at the fair.
Sweets, souvenirs, pomegranate and costume jewelry, Czech folk clothing, pottery and crystal dishes, cosmetics, toys, postcards and posters, local beer and spices - the choice of gifts and souvenirs is huge. Original souvenirs - puppets or traditional Czech Christmas tree decorations.
Sales in December run in all large and small retail outlets in the city and in the Prague market. The largest ones are in the shopping centers “Flóra”, “Nový Smíchov”, “Zličín”, “Černý most”, “Letnany” ( “Letňany”), “Chodov”, etc. Even in branded clothing stores in the city center, discounts reach 80%. Most shops will be closed on December 25 and 26, and fair trade will end on December 24.
What to see
You can get a vivid impression of Prague on a sightseeing tour of the city. Usually it is carried out as a bus-pedestrian tour and allows you to get a general idea of the city and visit its hidden corners: courtyards and gardens, ancient small churches, narrow pedestrian streets paved with paving stones.
- To avoid crowds of tourists, we recommend booking Prague sightseeing tours at dawn.
The Prague Zoo is an essential part of the entertainment program for children and adults. Fans of active recreation can rent skates or sleds and go for a ride with the whole family.
The kids can be taken to a fun matinee or to the puppet theater “Národní divadlo marionet”. Games, riddles, songs, entertainment in Russian will give your child an unforgettable experience, and the local Grandfather Frost will definitely give you a gift. The whole family should go to the Prague State Opera (Státní opera Praha) or to an organ concert in one of the central cathedrals.
In the evening, you have the opportunity not just to sit in a restaurant, but to take part in the preparation of a festive dinner. During the day, you can attend a master class on making national cookies and other delicacies.
Another option is a show with medieval music, attributes of knightly clothing, fights, ancient dances and games and, of course, serving national dishes and drinks. After dinner, all guests rush to the Vltava embankment - this is where the most colorful fireworks are launched.
Christmas tours
A large number of offers allows you to choose a tour to Prague for Christmas, taking into account your own financial capabilities and interests. Bus, train and air tours offer trips to the Czech capital for Christmas holidays lasting from 4 to 13 days. Price range – from 300 to 600 euros. Detailed information with offers from all tour operators is available on the website
Having bought a tour to Prague for Christmas, you don’t have to worry about anything: the price includes travel, transfer, accommodation and meals. The best accommodation options allow you to enjoy a holiday, organize a cultural and health program in wonderful, hospitable Prague.
Each hotel prepares in advance for the Christmas holidays and creates its own original atmosphere. Accommodation options outside the city, in the foothills, are very popular these days. Country hotels, surrounded by wild nature, decorated with live spruce trees, create an amazing and magical atmosphere for the main holiday of the year. It’s worth booking a hotel for Christmas in Prague at least 3-4 months in advance to get the best option with the maximum discount.
A friend gave me the idea to celebrate Christmas in the Czech Republic. And in principle, having quickly glanced through the offers of travel agencies, I decided that the idea was good, and also extremely unusual, not just a trip - a holiday atmosphere.
Therefore, after spending a couple of days searching for an option that suited both of us, we soon had our passports ready for a visa. This was a couple of years ago, but I think that on the eve of winter this topic will be relevant for many. At least I will try to tell you about all the nuances of our Christmas holidays. And if you are now debating whether to go or not, then perhaps I can help you decide.
Travel options offered by travel agencies in December are usually divided into four types: the week before Catholic Christmas, Catholic Christmas, New Year and Orthodox Christmas. We proceeded purely from the holiday dates, so we chose between the first and second options. The pre-holiday week cost 100 euros cheaper, but at that time it was fundamentally important for me to celebrate its most important holiday in Prague. The trip was a bus tour (I wrote about all the pros and cons of this option).
Looking ahead, I will say that if you decide to save money and arrive a week before Christmas, you will not lose anything - the Christmas tree, decorations and holiday markets will already be open, discounts in stores will apply, and breaks in shopping centers will not yet begin. Honestly, this is one of the most successful periods, in my opinion.
As for the New Year, it is not as popular in the Czech Republic as it is here. In principle, you will be offered dinner at a restaurant with entertainment. You won’t find street festivities all night either; the only thing that will mark the holiday is fireworks on the square. As the Czechs themselves say, the New Year is celebrated here in full force only by the Chinese, who are happy to come for a walk to the main Christmas tree. Therefore, when choosing a trip for this period, keep in mind that prices will be significantly higher than on other days, and in fact you will get the same festive city as on other dates of the Christmas holidays.
Well, Orthodox Christmas is probably the worst time to travel, in the sense that the price is still a little higher than usual, and there are no reminders of the holiday. Every year the holiday market ends on different dates and you need to find out in advance how long it will last. A friend of mine, having chosen these particular dates for her trip, arrived on the very day when the last reminder of the holiday - the Christmas tree - was being removed. It was a shame. Accordingly, there was no talk of any fairs. Even if the bazaars are not cleared out before your arrival, the feeling of the end of the fun will still constantly haunt you, and this always makes you a little sad.
And finally, the period of Catholic Christmas is exactly the time for rest that I chose. Accordingly, about it in as much detail as possible.
We stayed at the hotel Duo (Wing) 4*, which I really liked. I won’t focus on it, the food, the rooms, the staff - everything was of an excellent level. Daily cleaning, availability of tea, coffee, kettle and water in the room. Hair dryer, soap and gels were also available. But the location already let us down - it was the outskirts of Prague, although it was a minute from the metro station and trolleybus stop, but there was no possibility of walking to it from the center. Although no one walked there much at night, all the local residents disappeared from the streets around six o’clock and among those walking only tourists remained, disappearing by eleven in the evening. Yes, and during the day I was so exhausted from numerous walks that I slept without my hind legs. So, in general, accommodation was not critical for me. And a huge store was a three-minute walk away - what else could a tourist dream of? But still, a location closer to the center would be much more comfortable.
If we're talking about transport in passing, I'll add some general information. In Prague, the main way of transportation for me was the metro; it has three lines with three transfer stations - it’s mega-convenient to navigate. It is necessary to pay for travel, validate your ticket before the trip and follow the specified time. Quite often conductors came into the metro - men of very impressive appearance, with whom I absolutely did not want to argue. Trams are notable among ground transportation, but I have never ridden them. The visa to enter the country is Schengen, the language is Czech (the sound is very similar to Belarusian), money is the Czech crown and the euro. In many tourist places, such as Karlovy Vary, euros are freely accepted; in Prague you can pay in both euros and crowns. But keep in mind that the exchange rate is very unfavorable! In general, there was some kind of whole system with currency exchange in the Czech Republic: go to the exchanger (there is a CHANGE sign on it), ask to calculate how many crowns you will receive for your euros and carefully look at the calculator, because in the Czech Republic it is customary to also take commission, but most often it is not indicated on the signs. If you are satisfied with the amount offered by the cashier, change it. Just keep in mind that in the center the rate is always higher, I personally got used to changing euros in that very store near the hotel, and there was the most favorable rate I’ve ever seen.
As for leisure, we arrived in Prague on December 22. The first day is, of course, getting to know the city, standard excursions and a little shopping. I won’t talk about the sights of Prague, they have been written about more than once, and many have visited this place themselves, so I’ll just say that the city is transforming in anticipation of Christmas. Garlands, street musicians, festive installations and, of course, the famous fair market are everywhere. This is truly an impressive sight. Many wooden benches, decorated with pine needles and tinsel, are scattered on the square near the main tree. Sellers invite people, smile and congratulate them on the upcoming holidays. Touching Christmas melodies are played. Mulled wine and mead are poured everywhere, trdelniki are baked, and pork knees are fried directly on skewers. Moreover, it is felt that the Czechs themselves love this time; they come to the fair with pleasure, drink strong drinks and chat. I loved getting lost in the crowd of locals and listening to them talk. It felt like in this city you were not a tourist, but an ordinary resident who also lived in anticipation of the holiday. Honestly, in this noisy, festive crowd it was so fun, easy and carefree that time just flew by.
My favorite treat at the fair was trdelnik - a baked bun sprinkled with cinnamon on top. The smell from her is mind-blowing. I was glad more than once that I only took breakfast at the hotel, because nothing stopped me from enjoying holiday meals in the fresh air. In general, there is a lot of food at fairs, all kinds of stews, soups, goulash, which are cooked directly in frying pans and served immediately hot with delicious bread. There was also a large selection of baked goods, in addition to the trdelniks that I loved, there were also colored honey gingerbreads, cookies with honey and vanilla bagels. The cost of such sweets is around two euros.
The souvenirs are also in the spirit of Christmas - some cute New Year's balls, garlands, all kinds of candles and aroma lamps. And, of course, a Czech cartoon mole with a huge bag of gifts. In general, everything that will help make your home as comfortable as possible. You may not find anything too special here, but I advise you to wander around, and suddenly you will find something dear to your heart on the wooden counters.
Overall, the city is special at this time. If in normal times Prague gives the impression of a gothic and slightly gloomy city, then at Christmas it seems to come to life and become calm and very homely. No mysticism - just anticipation of the holiday and magic. Near large stores and in the city center, live carp are being sold in full swing. Does everyone remember that this is the main Christmas dish on the Czech table? People come up and ask the price, carps splash around, kids stare at the live fish with all their eyes. A real ritual. Personally, I spent a long time watching this spectacle, because I had never seen anything like it before. Of course, I can hardly imagine how to drag such a huge fish home and cut it up, but it was interesting to watch. Although, as it turned out, carp in the Czech Republic are not only eaten, but also... released back into the river, thus celebrating the day of generosity on Christmas Eve. You can also find smoked carp on sale; although they are not cheap, it is a great opportunity to join the spirit of Czech Christmas.
In the evenings, many people gather near the churches to listen to organ music. This pleasure is relatively inexpensive, and flyers with events are constantly distributed at the holiday market. But on Christmas Eve, mass in all churches is free. Only if you decide to come, you need to take a seat early. The service does not last long, about an hour, the schedule can always be searched on the Internet in advance and, if desired, plan your time. I really wanted to get there, but it didn’t work out, as always, too little time and too many plans. But for locals, attending a Catholic service is a mandatory celebration program.
The main festive program takes place on Old Town Square - this is where the country's main Christmas tree is installed, and on December 24, various passages based on biblical themes are shown on a small stage. There was also a spruce tree on Wenceslas Square, albeit a little smaller, and street musicians sang very beautifully there. And on the way to any of the squares you can find beautifully constructed nativity scenes under various fir trees - biblical scenes with the wise men and the baby Jesus.
In general, festive Prague is beautiful and incredibly magical, you can talk about it for hours, and even remember it for years. Just wandering through the streets of the city is already a pleasure! Because every yard, every store is decorated in a completely special way and sometimes resembles a work of art, so you can look at all this beauty endlessly. By the way, the weather these days was good - it was quite warm and dry, somewhere around 9 degrees Celsius. They say that in the Czech Republic there is a tradition that it snows every Christmas in Prague - I don’t know how true this is, but that year this cute superstition did not justify itself, there was no snow. But it was very gray just like in Belarus.
The next two days of my trip were given over to excursions. One of the days was completely spent in the Czech health resort - Karlovy Vary. An interesting town with mineral springs. But, to be honest, there is no feeling of a holiday there as such. I think this place will be much nicer in the summer.
But the second day was chosen to visit Dresden, and it became a real discovery. Christmas in Germany is celebrated just as enchantingly as in the Czech Republic, and maybe even more so. The city itself was decorated even more festively, and the celebration itself on the square was incredibly large-scale. There are children's carousels, buffoons, and street musicians, and the main dish at the fair is sauerkraut and sausages. It sounds so-so, but it's actually incredibly delicious. Oh, yes, also mulled wine - here it is poured into mugs with funny drawings, which you can then keep as a souvenir, but it costs more than in Prague.
For me, the holiday in Dresden became a Christmas movie come to life. I watched a huge number of them in my time and, seeing it all live, I almost burst into tears from an excess of emotions. And the speech is real German speech (here the exemplary student of German, who came to Germany for the first time, began to speak in me). It is difficult to explain in words the whole atmosphere of the holiday, but I assure you, it is incredible. And although I didn’t want to leave the fair at all, it was simply necessary to devote a couple of hours to shopping, because Christmas discounts in Germany are a real event. So it will be really difficult to leave without shopping. If we compare prices in Dresden and Prague, then my choice is definitely in favor of the first option.
The Christmas night itself in Prague turned out to be surprisingly quiet and family-like. Czechs celebrate this day with loved ones. On this occasion, shops, cafes and restaurants are closed. And places in establishments are booked almost three to four months in advance. It will be almost impossible to sit somewhere on your own if you don’t take care of it in advance. So if you are traveling on your own, take care to choose the place where you would like to spend Christmas. The advantage of the bus tour was just such a planned dinner in a rather atmospheric place with competitions, Czech polka and national dishes. I still remember these moments with incredible nostalgia, because I have never had such a Christmas before.
And the last day of my stay in the Czech capital turned out to be the most peaceful and calm. We walked leisurely along the deserted streets, made a wish on the Charles Bridge, which was surprisingly deserted, fed the pigeons and looked for the dancing house. It seemed that Prague had fallen asleep - it was so quiet in the city in those moments. Large stores and shopping centers were not open, nor was the fair, and we recognized the city in its true splendor. I didn’t want to leave at all.
By the way, despite the fact that many write about completely closed stores and non-operating coffee shops, this is not entirely true. Even if not on the same scale as on ordinary weekdays, a lot of things are still open. So you won’t get bored frankly; after all, Prague is very tourist-oriented.
Many people don’t like Christmas in Prague precisely because of these moments of freezing of the usual pace of life, but I, surprisingly, fell in love with this city just like that - quiet and deserted. Because it was in such silence that one could hear that very Christmas breath. It was probably that year that I felt and was imbued with the magic of the Christmas Eve moment. And I truly loved him. Unfortunately, in our small town, nothing ever reminds us of the holiday. Therefore, the dream of returning and plunging into these sensations again becomes stronger every year. Never before have I felt the breath of Christmas so clearly as in Prague.
But I definitely want to add - do not overestimate the holiday and do not build too beautiful pictures in your imagination, so as not to be disappointed later. After all, first of all, you are just going to get to know Prague, and this in itself is guaranteed to be a good vacation. And if everything goes well and you enjoy the moment, you will definitely understand why the locals love Christmas so much!
The main part of the New Year holidays in Europe takes place at the end of December - when Catholics celebrate Christmas. The Czech Republic is one of those countries where a religious holiday is traditionally celebrated brightly and on a grand scale, and the New Year is celebrated with less enthusiasm.
When is the best time to go to the Czech Republic for Christmas and New Year?
Christmas is celebrated for three days: December 23, 24 and 25. Just at this time you can enjoy... the silence and emptiness of the Czech streets, and miss all the interesting things. Those who want to get into the thick of the holiday should go to the Czech Republic the day before, maybe a few days, or even a couple of weeks in advance (cities begin to decorate for the holiday in the second half of November), so as not to get to the busiest time, but to catch the fairs , concerts and other folk festivals. Because according to the old Czech tradition, respectable Catholics celebrate this most family holiday of the year at home. On the holidays of December 23-25, shops are closed, most of the establishments are closed, the fair has been curtailed and there is almost no public transport, numerous students are sent home. Yes, by the way, it doesn’t always snow either. But the tourists are just starting to gather.
The main square of Prague is the place with the largest fair
I quote local well-wishers: “The best thing is to go to the Czech Republic for Christmas two or three days before the start of the holiday.”
After December 25th the country comes to life again. Crowds of European tourists begin to flood it. Noisy, drunk and young (although closer to the Austrian border there are more and more pensioners from this country). In the center of Prague and other popular Czech cities, parties and the clinking of glass do not subside - European youth love to break bottles for good luck. In some places the fair comes to life, but not on the same scale as before Christmas. Officially it lasts until January 6th.
New Year can be celebrated both in the city and in the establishment. Whatever you prefer.
Christmas traditions in the Czech Republic
In addition to the hearth, the Czechs have another strong Christmas tradition - cooking carp. Live fish are starting to be sold in tubs on the street - fishermen consider the pre-Christmas period to be the fattest catch of the year.
If you're heading to the Czech Republic for Christmas, choose accommodation with a kitchen (if you know what to do with it, of course) so you can experience the local traditions to their fullest. Buy carp, cook it, and distribute the scales to your companions. According to Czech belief, you need to put them in your wallet, then there will be happiness and prosperity all year. Fish in a tent on the street can simply be killed, or they can even be cut up at the request of the buyer. But remember that on the last day before Christmas all the carp will be scattered. 
The Christmas market is an important attribute of the holiday. The tents sell everything your heart desires. Decorations for the home, decorations for yourself made of wood, baked chestnuts, traditional (and not so traditional) clothes, meat according to an old Czech recipe, sausages, traditional alcohol and sweets (for Easter the assortment is about the same, only the decorations are different). But if the locals recommend trying meat dishes in Czech establishments (by the way, we have information on how to choose a restaurant “for your own people” and not for tourists in the Czech Republic), then mead, mulled wine and pastries are a must at the fair.
Traditional baked goods here are called trdelnik, prepared with sugar and cinnamon, and other additives at the discretion of the buyer. It cannot be confused with anything. 
Moreover, the Czechs consider trdelnik their national dish, the Hungarians claim that this is their dish. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the Poles also claim the authenticity of the product. But that's not the main thing. The main thing is that it is delicious. Mulled wine and many varieties of mead, by the way, too. The Czechs call mulled wine svarzhak. Pairs perfectly with trdelnik. The main thing is to calculate your strength so that the body’s resources are still enough for excellent Czech beer and the famous Czech absinthe.
At Christmas in Prague, a large real Christmas tree is erected. In the capital, the two largest fairs are held at the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square. But they are not the only ones, there are also fairs in the following places: Havel Square, Republic Square, Peace Square and the Holesovice Exhibition Complex. 
Another great European tradition that you shouldn’t forget about in Prague is sales. They also last about a month and end around Christmas. There are interesting prices for clothes, but electronics with good discounts are much less common. Stores have sales before Christmas and immediately after the New Year, especially on clothes.
New Year in the Czech Republic
New Year is celebrated, but less than Christmas. This day is called Sylvester, also according to Catholic tradition, because on December 31, 335, the saint died, in whose honor the day is named. New Year's Eve is called the same way in other Catholic countries. In fact, they celebrate a secular holiday. The main action takes place on the night of the 31st to the 1st, as usual. In the last couple of years, the traditional New Year's fireworks display in Prague has been moved to January 1, 6 pm. So that children can enjoy it, and not drunken French and Italians. Official sources advise: the best way to watch the fireworks is from Prague bridges (Legia, Chekhov, Manesov, Charles) or embankments (Smetana, Dvořák), as well as from Petřín Hill and from Letná Park itself. Popular places outside the center are the slope in Riegrovy Sady or Vitkov Hill. 
Accommodation for the New Year must be booked in advance; the price on the eve of the holidays rises significantly.
