VIDEO OF THE WEEK: St. Nicholas parades through Prague

People dressed up on the eve of St. Nicholas Day to surprise children with nice presents – but only if they behaved well.

Expats.cz Staff

Written by Expats.cz Staff Published on 09.12.2022 16:13:00 (updated on 29.12.2022) Reading time: 1 minute

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Twitter: @DaanHuisinga
Twitter: @DaanHuisinga

Newbies to Czechia may have come across an initially strange-looking scene on Monday night, a trio of characters roaming the streets of the Czech capital.

This video from Reuters shows one of many people dressed as St. Nicholas (Svatý Mikuláš) giving out treats to children in Prague's Old Town Square – not before asking them whether they have behaved well or badly this year.

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Every year on the eve of St. Nicholas Day (which occurs on Dec. 6), people recreate the tradition of dressing up as either Mikuláš, an angel (anděl), or a devil (čert; a character similar to Krampus, who is also becoming a part of the Czech holiday calendar).

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Children are the focus of the ritual; those who are well-behaved get stockings filled with tangerines, nuts, chocolates, and small gifts. Badly behaved children receive less exciting gifts, such as a sack of coal or potatoes from the devil.

Mikuláš will often carry a large book with him, “checking” each child’s good or bad actions throughout the year. Children this year were hopefully left more jubilant than terrified as they receive their first installment of presents before Christmas Eve in two weeks.

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