It Seems to Look a Lot Like a Czech Christmas
By Ladka Kurzrock
ecember for most of us is a special time
of the year. Yes, it’s Christmas!
Regardless of our religious beliefs, we
love this special festive season. While I was searching for inspiration on what to write about this month, I realized how much I missed my home country, my family, and my friends. I currently live in Australia and because of the pandemic I haven’t been able to visit. But I hope to reconnect, at least in my thoughts, with my home by taking you on a journey of how we celebrate Christmas back in the Czech Republic.
The preparation starts four weeks before Christmas, which is called Advent and it signifies waiting for the birth of Jesus Christ. Every family has an Advent wreath with four candles and every Advent Sunday one candle is lit. It is the time of calming and thinking about the year as the days are short and evenings long. The children’s’ Advent calendar is prepared to make their waiting shorter. Every advent day kids can find something sweet to eat and count down the days.
One of my favorite memories of Christmas is visiting markets where friends catch up with each other while sipping a mull wine, indulging in lip smacking local delicacies or browsing through various handicraft items and singing Christmas carols. These markets usually open from the beginning of December until January 6th
D