Culture

Goethe-Institut Invites You to a Sustainable and Waste-Free Christmas

Christmas as a holiday of consumerism: the Goethe-Institut wants to convince the Czech and international public that it doesn’t have to be this way. On Saturday 9 December, the institute will offer a series of creative workshops for children and adults with a Christmas and ecological theme. Entrance is free. “We have a pile of old wallpaper, wrapping paper, unwanted posters, newspapers, magazines, branches from our beautiful Christmas tree and dozens of other items that would be easy to throw away. We want to save it all and transform it into original Christmas gifts, notebooks or stationery,” comments Veronika Svítil from the Goethe-Institut. All this is free of course,” adds Svítil. The event, called Christmas Without Waste, will offer five workshops and other activities that are suitable for individuals and families with children. For example, under the guidance of Eva Rosíková from Kreaivatelier, it will be possible to make small gifts or interior Christmas decorations from recycled materials. Illustrator and graphic designer Zuzana Mašková will help with the production of notebooks and pencils, even for children (over six years old). The secrets of the bookbinding craft will be revealed by colleagues from Reformat, a second-hand stationery shop and sheltered workshop....

by Prague Morning Dec 04, 2023

GALLERY: Battle of Austerlitz Reenactment Draws Record Numbers of Participants

Thousands flocked to Santon Hill for the annual reenactment of the Battle of Austerlitz. Commemorated every year, this year’s edition is the largest since 2015, using 1200 history enthusiasts from 15 different countries. Over 10,000 spectators braved the cold and snow near the village of Tvarožná in the Brno region to watch the annual reenactment of the historic battle of Austerlitz. Also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, the nine-hour fight saw Napoleon’s army of 60,000 famously defeat the much stronger armies of Tsar Alexander I of Russia and Emperor Francis of Austria in 1805. For the locals, the recreation of one of Napoleon’s most famous and successful battles is not meant to celebrate the controversial figure – it is meant to commemorate and promote knowledge of a common European history, particularly in light of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year. An annual tradition coinciding with a controversial film This reenactment attracted many more spectators than usual, in part due to the release of the latest Ridley Scott film centered around the infamous Napoleon Bonaparte. The movie has been met with waves of negative reviews from French historians and film critics and some local Czech historians have joined them in expressing their reservations...

by Prague Morning Dec 04, 2023

Colours of Ostrava Announces Lenny Kravitz as Headliner for Next Year’s Festival

The main star of next year's Colours of Ostrava will be American singer Lenny Kravitz.

by Gabriella Burgess Dec 03, 2023

The Czech Christmas Tradition of Mikuláš

There’s a lot of things we love about Czech culture, but there’s nothing quite as amazing as the annual Christmas tradition of Mikuláš. Who is Mikuláš? In the Czech Republic, Mikuláš (Saint Nicholas) typically has a long white beard and dons a bishop’s garb, usually in white and red, and carries a staff. He is accompanied by a devil, who is traditionally black and hairy with either red or black horns, and an angel, who usually wears white wings and a halo. The trio goes around visiting homes where children reside. The devil is there to gently (or sometimes severely) scare children into behaving, with threats of being carried off in the devil’s sack to hell as punishment for badly behaved children. Meanwhile, the angel and Mikuláš are responsible for giving out gifts. Usually, children have to sing a song or recite a poem in order to receive their gifts. The gifts are typically not big or expensive, but rather small sweet treats or trinkets for good luck. Mikuláš is celebrated on December 5 every year, though the festivities are held on the eve of St. Nicholas Day. On that night, Mikuláš represented as a bearded bishop, visits the children...

by Prague Morning Dec 01, 2023

Cirque Du Soleil’s ‘Corteo’ Makes a Spectacular Comeback in Prague

Cirque Du Soleil’s ‘Corteo’ is returning to Europe, and will be presented to audiences in Prague for the first time. Since its inception, the show has attracted more than 10 million viewers in 20 countries on four continents. Cirque du Soleil will thus once again present itself to the audience in Prague on September 25-29, 2024, where this year it managed to hold eight OVO performances, attracting tens of thousands of spectators. Corteo, the Italian for ‘cortege’, is a merry and festive procession in the imagination of a clown. The performance combines the passion of an actor with the grace and strength of an acrobat to immerse the audience in a theatrical world of fun, comedy and spontaneity, located in the mysterious space between heaven and earth. The clown imagines his own funeral, taking place in a carnival atmosphere and watched over by peacefully caring angels. Juxtaposing the big with the small, the ridiculous with the tragic, and the magic of perfection with the grace of imperfection, the performance highlights the clown’s strength and fragility, as well as his wisdom and kindness, to illustrate the part of humanity that is in each of us. In Cirque du Soleil’s first performance,...

by Prague Morning Dec 01, 2023

Have You Been Naughty or Nice? Czexperience the Saint Nicholas Tradition with the Movie “Angel of the Lord 2”

Thanks to the “Some Like It Czech” project, you can meet the Czech angel and the Czech devil aka “čert” the movie way. This quirky and enchanting fairy tale, full of biblical puns and picturesque scenes, is screened with English subtitles, a fun introduction, and the first part of the movie series at Cinema Aero on December 8th. Buy your tickets here. When director Jiří Strach was creating a sequel to the beloved fairytale Angel of the Lord (2005), he had no idea that the follow-up Angel of the Lord 2 (2016, watch the trailer) would become one of the top three most visited Czech movies in local cinemas. Drawing from Czech cultural heritage, folklore and biblical stories, both movies promise to offer a perfect, entertaining lesson in Czech Christmas traditions and laughter that transcends age. Although both movies feature the misadventures of the eccentric angel Petronel and the sly devil Uriah, they both work as stand-alones. In the first part, Petronel is sent to the Earth to fix one single sinner. He is guided by the mischievous Uriah, who has a great time at his expense. In the following story, our quirky duo is sent to Earth once again...

by Prague Morning Nov 30, 2023

November 26: Kick Off the Holidays with Krampus Show at Výstaviště

The Christmas season in Czechia is generally seen as a happy event, but it has a darker side. While St. Nicholas rewards good children, in much of Central Europe a horned demon named Krampus comes for the bad apples. He beats them and drags them off in a sack to only he knows where. Every year, Krampus becomes more popular. People who want to kick off the holiday season with a glimpse of him can go to Výstaviště’s Malá Sportovní Hala on Saturday, November 26, for two large Krampus shows. Over 130 Krampuses from Austrian and Czech cosplay groups will make the blood of even the most hardened visitors freeze. Masked figures with giant horns will clank heavy chains while wearing shaggy fur coats and cow bells – the traditional garb of the demon. Fire, sulfur, heavy chains, stinky fur coats, giant horns, cowbells, and other hellish masks of the devil’s servants will provide a terrifying spectacle. The Krampus Family Show is from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm. 3:30 pm: open door 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm: parade and show The early show is suitable for families with children aged 3 to 10 years old. Children who do not have...

by Hena Takal Nov 21, 2023

Žatec Receives UNESCO World Heritage Certificate Honouring Its Brewing Traditions

The Czech town of Žatec received the certificate of inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List on Saturday, two months after the organisation’s committee decided to inaugurate the town and its surrounding hop-growing landscape. Interest in the hop-growing landscape increased this year, with more tourists visiting the information center and the nearby Steknik Castle, located in the middle of the hop-growing area. Žatec and its surrounding landscape represent a centuries-old tradition of hop growing. The new UNESCO site consists of two parts. The first is the landscape, with its hop farms and the villages of Trnovany and Steknik, including the castle. The second part is the historic center of Zatec and its 19th-century industrial quarter, which has the highest concentration of buildings connected with hop processing and trade. The two parts are connected by the Ohre River. It is the first hop-growing landscape in the world to be awarded UNESCO status. “For us, this is a confirmation of the exceptional quality of the hops we grow here,” Michal Kovarik, secretary of the Czech Hop Growers Association, told CTK. The Žatec district is where most of the hops in the country are grown, comprising 3,744 hectares, or 77% of the total...

by Cara McErlean Nov 20, 2023

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: Return of the King Concert in Prague

The journey of “The Fellowship of the Ring” is over, the decisive battle for Middle Earth begins! Enjoy the dramatic conclusion to the trilogy in a unique cinematic performance with live music by Oscar-winning composer Howard Shore, performed by a 230-piece symphony orchestra, choirs, and international soloists. The concert with a spectacular film screening will take place twice, on the 8th and 9th of November, 2024, in the modern concert hall O2 Universum Prague. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, based on the book by J. R. R. Tolkien, premiered in the Czech Republic on 15 January 2004. Its attendance reached three-quarters of a million spectators. Although more than 20 years have passed since its release, this groundbreaking work has lost none of its popularity. On the contrary, more and more new generations admire its excellence. Howard Shore, who won two Oscars for The Fellowship of the Ring and The Return of the King, composed the beautiful music for the trilogy. The third Oscar was awarded to the final song of the saga, Into the West, sung by the famous Annie Lennox. “The large scale of the music requires a symphony orchestra, a mixed choir, a...

by Prague Morning Nov 19, 2023

Czech Republic Elected to the UNESCO Executive Board

The Czech Republic has been elected to the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in Paris, and will serve from 2023 to 2027. “The Czech Republic has just been elected to the UNESCO Executive Board,” the Foreign Ministry said on the social network X. Adding that one of the topics the Czech Republic will focus on, during its mandate, will be the transformation of education, and the protection of cultural and natural heritage. The Executive Board, together with the General Conference, is UNESCO’s governing body and is made up of 58 member countries, elected by the Conference according to their respective electoral groups. The last time the Czech Republic was a member of the Executive Board, within the Central and Eastern European Group, was between 2012 and 2015. UNESCO was founded shortly after World War II to develop cooperation in education, science, and culture. In the latter area, it is best known for its World Heritage List, in which the organization includes the world’s most important sites. As for the Czech Republic, its first additions to the UNESCO World Heritage List were the Historic Centre of Prague, the Historic Centre of Český Krumlov, and...

by Hena Takal Nov 19, 2023

EXHIBITION: The World of Tim Burton Arrives in Prague Next Year

Batman, Alice in Wonderland, and the Nightmare Before Christmas. What do all these films have in common? They all belong to the world of renowned filmmaker Tim Burton, who entertained the imaginations of children and adults alike for decades. Luckily, Burton will bring his fantasy world to Prague next year! From the first of May until the end of September 2024, an exhibition will be displayed in Prague’s Municipal House at Namesti Republiky, as part of a world tour where Burton’s work has featured in places such as Germany, Japan, South Korea, and Mexico. If you’re a fan of Burton’s work, this is the place to be next year. “The exhibition features over 530 works, including storyboards, sketches, scene designs, puppets, and photographs from timeless film classics such as Beetlejuice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Mars Attacks! and Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas to contemporary films like Dumbo and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” reads the website. Burton’s 50-year artistic career is nothing short of extraordinary, and attendees will be able to experience it for themselves, everything from the Corpse Bride to Willy Wonka. The exhibition in fact had already visited Prague in 2014, at...

by Jakob Weizman Nov 14, 2023

Prague’s O2 Arena to Host Multi-Genre Concert in Lead Up to Christmas

On 21 December, Prague’s O2 Arena will host a Christmas concert featuring more than 130 artists from the Czech music scene. Seven well-known artists, including Thalia Award-winning actress Eva Burešová, Ondřej Ruml and Kateřina Maria Ticha, accompanied by 70 musicians from the Hradec Králové Philharmonic and the Permoník Karviná Choir, will put on stage a show featuring 27 songs from various genres, including classical music, pop and jazz, in new and innovative arrangements under the baton of Stanislav Vavřínek. “We are not preparing a classical Christmas concert, but a musical experience,” said arranger Jan Lstibůrek. “The audience will listen to Christmas melodies and themes they know from the radio, but for the first time ever in symphonic arrangements written specifically for particular composition performers, philharmonic and choir, and for the unique space of Prague’s O2 Arena.” Along with the sound, the evening will be illuminated by visual components of color and an extraordinary stage design. “At one moment, modest and intimate, the next moment, monumental, so that you feel like you are in a musical temple. All these elements together create a complete experience,” said Lstibůrek. The organizers say they hope for the concert to become the start of a...

by Melissa Santoyo Nov 13, 2023

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