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Christmas Eve in Prague » 24th December 2024
Christmas Eve is the most festive day of Christmas in Czechia. Czech people spend the day at home with their family, and in the evening give presents and enjoy a traditional Czech Christmas dinner. Merry Christmas to one and all: Veselé Vánoce! |
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Old Town Sq. Christmas Markets | | Christmas Eve in Prague
Christmas Eve (24th December) is the main day of Christmas in Czechia. With fewer people in Prague, it is a wonderfully peaceful day to explore the city.
Prague can be especially charming when the squares and bridges are dusted with snow or a heavy frost, which gives everything a real 'olden day' charm.
There are options for sightseeing, entertainment and dining, but not everything is open and running, and opening times are generally limited. So the day does take a little planning. |
| | Planning for Christmas Eve | | The Prague Christmas markets are open from 10am to 10pm on Christmas Eve.
Sightseeing tours of Prague run in the morning only. There are no afternoon tours. And
day trips outside Prague do not operate at all.
The Lunch Cruise and Sightseeing Cruise are the only river cruises running. No cruises operate in the evening. | | If you enjoy classical music or Christmas carols, highly atmospheric Christmas concerts are staged in some of the city's finest buildings, such as the Smetana Hall at Municipal House and the Mirror Chapel at the Klementinum.
There are also two ballet performances to choose from: The Nutcracker and Swan Lake, both staged at Broadway Theatre.
For dining and refreshments, only certain pubs and restaurants open on
Christmas Eve, and those that do have limited opening hours.
Reservations for both lunch and dinner are essential, as most places book out.
The atmosphere in the bars and restaurants tends to be one of quiet, festive celebration. | |
 Mirror Chapel at Klementinum |
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For an upbeat night out, the Medieval Tavern puts on two shows (16:30 and 20:30). Food, drinks, live music and entertainment are all included. Tickets always sell out, so advance reservations are essential.
Prague is called The City of a Hundred Spires for good reason. It is relatively easy to find a church service to attend on Christmas Eve: | |  Tyn Church at
Old Town Square | |
Some churches in Prague hold a Christmas mass for families with children around 16:00. Others have evening services. Times are announced close to the date, so ask your hotel reception for suggestions when you arrive in the city.
Church services that operate every year include:
Tyn Church at the Old Town Square holds a mass at 16:30. Entrance is free, just turn up.
On the stage at the Old Town Square, an open-air Christmas mass is held at 21:00. Entrance is free, just turn up.
Midnight Mass is held at Strahov Monastery (and other churches). Entrance is free, just turn up. |
| | | For more information on what's open and when on Christmas Eve in Prague, and to book restaurants, sightseeing and entertainment, view the Prague Christmas Planner. | |
| A Traditional Czech Christmas | |
To discover what a traditional Czech Christmas is like, one has to naturally look at the family, and at food and drink.
Czech people generally spend the afternoon of Christmas Eve at home with their family, dressing the Christmas tree and preparing food for the evening celebrations.
During the daytime on Christmas Eve, Czechs must abstain from eating meat. Instead, they will eat sauerkraut soup or something similar. This ensures they see the golden piglet, which will bring them wealth in the year ahead. | |  |
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The meat fast lasts until after sunset, when Christmas dinner is served around 6pm.
Carp is the central ingredient of a Czech Christmas dinner, and is served with potato salad. | |
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The fish is typically bought live from street sellers in the days running up to Christmas or on Christmas Eve morning itself.
In Prague, for example, live carp are sold on the streets at Republic Square (Namesti republiky).
Once the fish has been brought home, it is kept alive in the bath. Then, in the afternoon of Christmas Eve, the fish is prepared, coated in breadcrumbs, and fried.
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The potato salad has already been made fresh in the morning.
Fish soup (rybí polévka) forms the starter, with apple strudel or Christmas sweetbread (vánočka) for dessert. |
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Presents are brought by Jezisek (little Jesus), not by Father Christmas/Santa Claus.
No-one knows what Jezisek looks like or how he does it, but after dinner, when the family moves from the dining room to the lounge, presents will have magically appeared under the Christmas tree. Children are amazed at how this has happened while everyone was eating, and without anyone noticing. But that is the wonder of Christmas. | |
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| | | With presents opened and a beautifully dressed tree in the corner, the rest of the evening is spent playing games, chatting, eating snacks and watching children's fairy tales on television - the stories, which emanate from Central Europe and Russia, are an important part of Christmas in Czechia. | |  | |
In the days and hours before Christmas, Czech families will have been busy baking home-made biscuits (Vánoční cukroví), and preparing a variety of open sandwiches (chlebíčky).
These are all brought out to enjoy on Christmas Eve night.
For adults, there is also a good supply of Czech beer, wines and local spirits (Slivovica, Becherovka and Fernet Stock).
Later on, it is traditional for some people to attend midnight mass at their local church. |
| | | If you are spending Christmas in Prague and would like to try a traditional Czech Christmas dinner, we list the restaurants that offer it in the Christmas Planner. | |
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 CHRISTMAS 2024
KEY DATES | |
XMAS MARKETS
Old Town Square & Wenceslas Square
30 Nov-06 Jan
Daily 10:00-22:00 | |
SMALL MARKETS
Peace Square
20 Nov-24 Dec
Daily 10:00-20:00
Republic Square
25 Nov-24 Dec
Daily 10:00-20:00
Tyl Square
26 Nov-24 Dec
Daily 10:00-20:00
Na Kampě Square
30 Nov-06 Jan
Daily 10:00-20:00 | |
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TREE LIGHTING
Old Town Square
30 Nov-06 Jan
Daily 16:30, 17:30, 18:30, 19:30, 20:30, 21:30 | |
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LAMP LIGHTING
Charles Bridge
01-23 Dec
Daily 16:10-16:30 | |
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ICE RINKS
Na Frantisku, Old Town
15 Nov-28 Feb
Daily 08:00-19:00/22:00
Letná Park
16 Nov-23 Feb
Daily 09:00-22:00
Wenceslas Square
01 Dec-16 Feb
Daily 09:00-22:00
Tower Park:
Žižkov
01 Dec-28 Feb
Mon-Fri: 15:00-20:00; Sat-Sun: 09:00-20:00
Ovocny trh, Old Town
05 Dec-31 Jan
Daily 10:00-21:00 | |
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MIKULAS DAY
Old Town Square & Wenceslas Square
05 Dec
16:00-19:00 | |
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XMAS EVE
24 Dec 2024
-16:00 Christmas Mass for children at various churches
-16:30 Christmas Mass at Tyn Church
-21:00 Open-air Christmas Mass at Old Town Square
-24:00 Midnight Mass at Strahov & other churches | |
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XMAS PLANNER
What's open at Christmas: restaurants, entertainment & sightseeing
24-26 Dec 2024 | |
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NEW YEAR'S EVE
Festivities & Fireworks
31 Dec 2024 | |
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THREE KINGS
Charles Bridge
03 Jan 2025
15:30-16:45 | |
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