Tree yes, but without (large) markets. Christmas in Prague will be different due to coronavirus
According to Chabr, markets are a social event with a large concentration of people. “For this reason, given the epidemiological situation, it would probably be very inappropriate to hold Christmas markets and prepare them to the extent and size we are used to from previous years,” he said. He added that the municipality also did not want to completely omit the Christmas celebrations, also for psychological reasons, because – in Chabra’s words – “a good mood is half healthy”.
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The atmosphere in the Old Town Square will ensure a traditional large spruce and Christmas decorations. “On the other hand, the decoration will not be expensive or pompous. If it is the epidemiological situation in the area, we are ready to add some decent small stalls, however, at the moment we do not count on the classic variant of Christmas markets, “concluded Chabr.
The mayor of Prague, Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates), then added via a twitter account that live events will also be one of the special events. “We do not plan any fireworks or any replacement that would lead to a larger gathering of people. We also canceled the traditional ball of the capital. A more modest Christmas does not necessarily have to be worse if, in the spirit of their original values, we focus on the good of our loved ones in this difficult time, “said Hřib.
Spruce comes from Jílové near Prague
Taiko has already chosen a tree to stand in the Old Town Square. It will be a 19-meter-tall spruce that grew near Jílové near Prague. Last year’s spruce came from Semily in the Liberec region. Markets in the center of the metropolis normally take place from the turn of November and December to the beginning of January. In addition to Old Town Square, there are also, for example, Wenceslas Square, Peace Square and other places in the capital.
Taiko organizes Advent events on “Staromák”, “Václavák” and on the Republic Square. Due to the coronavirus infection, the company had to close the markets at Easter – now there is another significant Christian (and commercial) period.
“We are very sorry for the situation, however, we respect the decision and offer the tree and its installation to the City of Prague for overhead costs. Upon agreement, we can invent a more modest decoration of the tree and prepare it for the beginning of Advent this year, “said Libor Votruba, Chairman of the Board of Taiko, in a press release. He added that – unless the situation around covid-19 changes significantly – the Christmas tree in the Old Town Square will be erected according to the original plan on the night of November 23-24. But without the traditional festive lighting…
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