Christmas are coming

The time passes and December has arrived, I am a few days to end my adventure, but ... I'll leave that for the next article, we want today to focus on how people live in Czech Republic the Christmas. It is one of the few festivities related to the religion that has this country, but the truth is that few here understood as well or even are not even aware that many customs have to do with religious stuffs.
In this way in the Czech Republic is very typical decorating the house with the crowns of Advent that give good luck and prosperity to the family.

This is a piece of wood or twigs in which are placed four candles, one for each Sunday before Christmas. But as I have said, it is a habit, currently a fashion, that many Czechs do not even know their relationship with the religion.


During this month is very typical throughout the country celebrate Sant Barbara (in my region patron saint of miners) a habit quite macho or outdated, in that single women cut sprigs of lilac or or cherry to marry the following year. Also in almost all the cities are often mounted the Christmas markets.
We spent the saturday watching the flea market of Ostrava where drank Medovina and eggnog for coping with the cold and we were surprised with a nativity scene make it with Palma with the magic Kings and all, which surprised us because they do not celebrate this tradition. We could also see donkeys, a llama and a camel.
Another important festival is the that replaces what in El Bierzo we know by the magician chalupa. We are talking about Saint Nicolas, a saint who arrives with a book of sins under the arm and accompanied by an angel and a demon. The devil will give them to children who have behaved badly coal but with the good intermediation of the angel and the promise to behave well the small, Saint Nicolas le giveaway a piece of fruit or a sweet. This will be all the years, the night of the five in December.