Boo! Halloween for Kids in the Czech Republic

Halloween is here again, and here’s a rundown of some things you can do with your kids this year. Halloween is relatively new to the Czech Republic, although they too have a ‘day of the dead’ on November 2nd. This day, called Dušičky, is celebrated by visiting graveyards and decorating graves of loved ones. That is, after all, the original purpose of Halloween. In the US, the holiday has evolved into a mashup of candy, costumes and spookiness; people in the rest of the world are warming to this concept, especially the children.

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The Nebušice neighborhood of Malá Šárka has enough American residents that they joined forces to recreate a real US neighborhood that welcomes trick-or-treaters. About a quarter of the houses here are decorated for the occasion, and some even have front lawn scenery like coffins and motion-activated recordings and animatronics. The whole neighborhood pulls together and the atmosphere is fun and friendly; even amongst the trick-or-treaters there’s an air of camaraderie. And it’s not just Americans handing out the booty – other nationalities join in on the action – so kids make out like bandits with treats from places like Israel and Japan! And even America can’t compete with that. But not every house is open to the revelry – so do not disturb the ones with signs on the door saying “No trick or treaters!”. True, in the states, these people’s homes would be covered with eggs and toilet paper as punishment, but this is not America.

If you decide to visit this cultural gem, please respect the residents, make the effort to have a fantastic costume – yes, adults too – and do take a moment to chat with the people who answer the door. And for heaven’s sake, remind your children to say “thank you!” before ambling over to the next door. To contribute to this phenomenon without leaning too hard on the resources, why not turn up with something to give away? The folks from Jelly Belly are going to be out with the trick-or-treaters, handing out bags of candy. If we all do something like that, we can support this great initiative.

PACK (Prague Activities for Cool Kids) is throwing a Halloween party for children on Sunday, October 30th from 1:00 – 4:00. The event will include “Haunted Ghost Trail” and “Flight of the Witches” broomstick relay races. Each child gets a gift bag as they leave. Entrance is 200 CZK for kids 3 – 9. Siblings under 2 are free. To attend, you MUST register by sending an email to eva@expats.cz as the capacity is 60 children. This party is open to everyone, not just PACK members. The first Halloween party of its kind took place last year. Here is a write-up of it, written by co-organizers Kids in Prague.

What else can you do with kids this fall? The Brotánek family has a Pumpkin Farm in Bykos, near Beroun, which is open to the public. Located 35 km from Prague, it’s a fun day out for the family where kids can see rabbits, chickens and turkeys. For directions, visit their website. On Saturday, October 15th, they are hosting a big open day event, with food and games for kids. You will walk away with all the pumpkins and squash you could want. The farm is open to the public, so you can visit it other times too if you’d rather pick your own pumpkin, or choose from the giant pile in the barn. Directory listing.

You may have noticed more and more Farmer’s Markets around Prague. This is a wonderful trend – it gives local farmers a place to sell their goods directly to the public, and the public is quick to embrace the “buy local” ethos when they see how good the goods really are. Well now Famers’s Markets – with their quintessential Czech fare – is heralding the American custom of pumpkin carving! Several pumpkin themed events have already passed, but on Saturday, Oct. 29th, there is a pumpkin carving workshop from 9.00 – 13.00, open to the public. This is at Kubanske namesti in Prague 10. All the details and a view of more upcoming programs here.