Christmas shopping isn't just about presents!
In Prague's Old Town Square, there is also a mini zoo. Youngsters and adults who've retained their childlike wonder will get a kick out of pony rides and sheep, goats and even a lama.
Next to the mini zoo a bethlehem manger scene is recreated in a wooden stable complete with Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, the 3 kings, a straw floor.
Most impressive of all, is the Christmas tree. Shipped from the Sumava mountains and draped in a blaze of lights, here is the Old Town's most spectacular sight.
But, what would Christmas be without carols?
Local & international choirs, along with musical ensembles take to the stage in the Old Town Square, entertaining visitors as they browse the market stalls. From throughout the Czech Republic, school children in traditional costume also come to dance and sing for the crowd. Christmas in Prague is simply wonderful.
Czechs begin preparing for Christmas early, preferably by the middle of November, at which time they already have money saved that they want to spend on Christmas. This is when the shops begin luring people in with their window displays, mailbox flyers and commercials on all the television stations to help further the pre-Christmas madness. The there are questions like "Have you done your Christmas shopping yet?" get even the most stubborn Christmas-haters into the shops. Not only are the shops full of people buying gifts for their relatives, but also people buying ingredients for making sweets at home. There is afterall, nothing that can make the atmosphere at home better than a big bowl of calorie-filled sweets on the table.
Preparations for the Christmas holidays mostly get underway for Czechs with a good house-cleaning. The whole flat or house is cleaned from top to bottom: the carpets are washed, the furniture polished, and everywhere vacuumed, even under the beds and cupboards. In the November or December cold, you can see housewives (yes, mostly women) leaning out their windows, giving them their annual pre-Christmas cleaning. In recent times, Czechs have begun placing other objects that symbolize Christmas in these nice, clean windows - lit Christmas stars bought in the shops or artificial wreaths. In their Christmas decorations, at least, the Czechs are getting closer to European union...
After cleaning their home completely, people begin slowly bringing in supplies and gifts for Christmas. They hide them in their cupboards and other hiding-places, so their family members don't accidently find them and ruin the surprise on Christmas Eve. This is when parents ask their children to write a letter to Jezisek (Baby Jesus), to tell him everything they want to find under the tree on Christmas Eve.
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