Christmas tree for Prague's Old Town Square has been selected, but fate of markets remains unknown

The fate of Prague's Christmas markets for the 2020-21 season remains unknown due to the current COVID-19 epidemic in the Czech Republic, but a Christmas tree for Old Town Square has already been selected.

Should the markets be held, Prague's Old Town Square will be adorned with a 19-meter-tall Norway Spruce harvested from private land in Jílové, near Prague.

The spruce was selected by tips from locals through Trhy Praha's Christmas tree tips competition, which awards 10,000 CZK to a lucky winner if a tree they spotted ends up being used as OId Town Square's Christmas tree.

"The Norway spruce we have selected this year is beautifully grown and easily accessible by heavy machinery," Taiko Chief Operating Officer Petr Hozák states in a press release.

"Another advantage is that it is located not far from Prague. It is about nineteen meters tall, which is a little less than usual, but I believe that no one would notice. The private owner contacted us with a tip."

While the tree has been selected, however, it's unclear if Prague's Christmas markets will even take place this year.

New restrictions announced yesterday will close down numerous venues that provide culture and leisure activities, while restrictions on both indoor and outdoor events remain in place.

While the Christmas markets may not be classified as an event, they typically get crowded. Taiko closed down their autumn St. Wenceslas markets a week early due to COVID-19 concerns.

According to a press release, Taiko is currently awaiting further regulations from the Czech government regarding the COVID-19 epidemic, and will negotiate on possible outcomes with the city of Prague.

The company aims to have a final decision on the fate of the markets by the end of October, as it will no longer be possible to plan for them after this date.

Prague's Christmas markets are tentatively slated to operate from about November 26, 2020, to January 6, 2021.