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In the lobby of the Czech Radio building on Prague's Vinohradska Street there is a large yellow candle. Many people have come to light their own candles from it. But what is its significance? Martin Mikule explains what the candle means.

A Czech carp meets a swift end under the club and knife of a Prague seller - one of many on Prague's streets hawking the traditional Christmas fish - ahead of Christmas Eve. The seller, whose name is Josef, tells me Czechs have been eating carp for generations. It simply wouldn't be Christmas without carp on the plate.

For many readers around the world, Josef Lada's illustrations of the Good Soldier Svejk are inextricably linked to the famous character created by Jaroslav Hasek. But Josef Lada did far more than illustrate Hasek's novel, and his idealized paintings of carol singers and family gatherings are for many in this country an enduring symbol of Czech Christmas.

The weather here in Prague isn't looking too Christmassy at the moment - it's cloudy and around 5 degrees Celsius. But can Czechs expect a white Christmas this year? And if not in Prague, how about elsewhere in the country? I spoke to weather forecaster Jan Pavlik, and began by asking what the weather was like in the mountains.

One of the Czech Republic's most notorious murderers, the man dubbed the "Spartakiada killer", was freed on Tuesday, when a court ruled that Jiri Straka's status be changed from inmate at a mental institution to outpatient. Mr Straka's release 19 years after his grisly crimes has reawakened memories of the panicked atmosphere in Prague ahead of the 1985 Spartakiada.

Christmas is a religious holiday - marking the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. At the same time, Christmas is widely celebrated in largely agnostic countries like the Czech Republic, as a season for seeking peace, goodwill and understanding. As such, Christmas is a time when religious figures — from many faiths, not just Christian — reach out to each other.

"Hey Master, get up, quickly!" Those are the opening words of the most famous piece of Czech Christmas Music. Composed by a small-town teacher, Jakub Jan Ryba, in 1896, "Ceska mse vanocni" or "Czech Christmas Mass" has the structure of a classic pastoral mass - only it is not located at Jesus Christ's birthplace but somewhere in snow-covered Central Bohemia. The lyrics describe a village scene where a farm hand wakes up his master to tell him about a strange heavenly light. The master is a little morose at first but then he gets up to have a look and

The eyes of the world will be focused on Ukraine this weekend, where the second round of a disputed presidential election is being held. There was evidence of mass fraud during the last, annulled vote, which put Viktor Yanukovych ahead of Viktor Yushchenko. Among the electoral observers trying to ensure this weekend's vote will be fairer will be fifty Czech volunteers, who are being briefed in Kiev before being sent off to the regions. Earlier, we spoke to one of the group's co-ordinators, Ondrej Soukup:

The Czech Republic's most renowned tractor manufacturer Zetor - which used to have assembly plants in Asia and North America - is currently experiencing a new boom in sales. With the Czech Republic now in the EU, the recently privatised company hopes to regain its status as the region's biggest and most respected tractor producer.

The changing of the Guard at Prague Castle. From this Wednesday - like every other unit of the Czech Army the Castle will be fully professional. For the last 140 years, the Czech army has been based on compulsory military service, but now, the army has been transformed to a downsized, professional force. We asked a few people in Prague's streets how they see this historic transformation.