This time of year is gorgeous, fun and beautiful for many reasons. Here in Australia, we are expecting a very hot Christmas Day with a current prediction of 36 degrees Celsius. I have experienced almost every Christmas of my life in the blistering Australian heat, and I most certainly do love it.
However, when we spend such a long time hearing about White Christmases and seeing images of snow and singing songs of blazing warm fires, the image of Christmas in our minds and our own reality is oddly differing. So, when I experienced my first real winter Christmas, I absolutely loved it. The snow was so beautiful and I enjoyed feeling like I was living in a real Christmas card or film. Here are some of my top Christmas experiences in Prague!
❄ Drinking Svařák (Mulled Wine) ❄
It was a freezing cold day, I was shivering away in all of my layers and huge coat, and the mulled wine was so deliciously warm. It just felt special and Christmassy and wintry all in one.
❄ Seeing Snow covering the houses in the morning ❄
It doesn’t get cold enough in Adelaide for the city to experience snow, so this was amazing for me. I had seen snow once before in New Zealand, but never at such a scale before. It was dusted on the tops of the houses and trees, and the little plants and berries were laden with icicles. It felt like a fairytale.
❄ Going to the Christmas Markets and the huge beautiful Christmas Tree ❄
If it isn’t already clear that I love Christmas, it will be now. It was SO MAGICAL to see the massive Christmas tree in Prague, which was really tall and it made me feel really small looking up at it from the ground. The markets were incredibly aesthetically pleasing, and yummy warm foods were prepared and sold in the little red coloured stalls. The city surrounding the markets is so old and beautiful, with stunning architecture. It was perfect.
❄ Seeing the Christmas Lights in Prague ❄
There are Christmas lights all around, especially in Wenceslas Square. When it gets dark at around 3-4pm, it is amazing to leave the shops or leave your work and see the Christmas lights all around.
❄ Having a real Christmas Tree ❄
My grandmother has usually had a real Christmas tree throughout my childhood, but at home we mostly had a fake one. This is much more common in Australia, where the weather is obviously very different. Having a real Christmas tree was lovely, and the smell of the pine needles was absolutely divine.
❄ Getting to wear warm winter clothing ❄
In Adelaide, I don’t often get to wear really warm winter clothing as whilst it can get quite chilly, it is never truly freezing cold. People in Europe will probably think I am insane for saying this, but I thought it was really fun putting on all those winter layers and having my big snow boots and little beanie and gloves. It was special for me, and I loved it!
❄ Going to the Carols and Christmas Celebrations in Karlštejn ❄
I am only really familiar with English-language Christmas Carols, so I found it very interesting to hear Czech Christmas carols. We had a really lovely time listening to Carols and exploring the city of Karlštejn and eating yummy foods sold at the stalls. They had a nativity scene which was so scenic and beautiful. The Castle was amazing and the musicians were very talented.
And those were my fantastic Christmas experiences in the Czech Republic. Hope you enjoyed reading this and that you’re having a lovely Christmas season.
Ahoj!
•Chloe's Voyage• 