PragueBuzz!

Nice article to read about Czech Christmas Tradition

For one thing, part of the attraction of a Czech Christmas is that some of the clichés pictured on Christmas cards actually do bear a resemblance to reality. Snow is a possibility, and even at the rather fake Olde Worlde market in Old Town Square, the heart of Prague’s tourist mayhem, the scene is enough to make even the most heartless cynic get a little sentimental. As in other countries, Christmas in the Czech Republic happens in two distinct stages: the first part coming at the beginning of December, around St. Nicholas Eve, and the second on December 24th, when families get together to celebrate the main Christmas event.

[Prague.tv]

Remember when you were kids and you tended little golden fish in a little tank. Adult Czechs sacrifice their hygiene for a few days to save their half-full bathtub for cute little carbs which will end up on crunchy Christmas dinner plates.

[Radio.cz - Story of the carp]

Bored by the city and looking for something new? A-Tout Prague compiles an interesting list of activities you can do during this holiday.

• Krivokl�t Krivokl�t Castle
  

• Traditional early Christmas celebrations in the courtyard, large craft market, advent concerts and masses, theater and puppet performances, Christmas music, jugglers, dancers, etc. The Krivokl�t Nativity Scene.

• Folk Christmas, exhibition, Ginger Bread decoration, singing and painting

• Jesus is Born In Bethlehem - Christmas exhibition. Showcasing traditionally decorated rustic houses, nativity scenes and various Christmas tree decorations.
• St. Nicholas Caroling and Train Ride
• Christmas Production - cooking and folk crafts program 16 Dec.
• Christmas Eve traditions - feather plucking, spinning wool, baking Christmas cookies, discussions on Christmas

• Christmas in a Miners` Home and Presents in the Prokopska Adit - a 19th century home of a family of miners decorated with Christmas items, nativity scenes carved out of wood, production and decoration of Christmas decorations, pouring hot lead in water, preparation of Christmas meals and caroling; ride the small mine train through the decorated Prokopska Adit, tour to the historical underground spaces, Christmas traditions and customs of miners.

• Open: year-round except Mon. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., in December - daily 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. . Children will have the opportunity to purchase Christmas presents here. 

• The Karlstejn Royal Nativity Scene. The largest Czech puppet nativity scene covering 80 m2. It is composed of 46 wooden puppets dressed in period costumes. Gingerbread nativity scenes. Freshly baked gingerbread nativity scenes.
• Gingerbread tale: Gingerbread fairy tale characters.
• Permanent exhibition: 50 nativity scenes, some of them over 200 years old. Most of them are carved from wood, but some are made out of bread, sugar or paper. Included are also unique miniatures - small nativity scenes in hazelnut, walnut and coconut shells.
• V�clav Havel`s presidential nativity scene

[AToutPrague]

Czechs do take their beer seriously; they even cook up a special kind of beer for this holiday and organize Christmas Beer Markets.

Occasionally called sv�te?n� piva (holiday beers), Christmas beers are brewed at higher gravities than standard Czech lagers, generally starting at 13� and heading north fast, resulting in slightly (or much) higher alcohol than normal. (It�s cold here, people � we need something to get the blood going.) Unfortunately, these are almost always limited editions and can be very difficult to find, either on tap or in bottles.

[PragueMonitor]