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It has taken more than 200 years for Jakub Jan Ryba’s Czech Christmas Mass to come to Chicago, but it seems that good things come to those who wait. The Ryba Mass was premiered in the Windy City on Saturday and Rosie Johnston was there.

A week before Christmas Eve, Czech girl and boy scouts on Saturday began distributing the Light of Bethlehem around the country. The Light of Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, arrived in the Czech Republic from Vienna on Friday, was first taken to St Vitus Cathedral in Prague where it was blessed by Archbishop Dominik Duka. On Saturday, scouts are distributing it by train to all corners of the Czech Republic for people to light their own candles. The tradition of the Light of Bethlehem first appeared in then Czechoslovakia in December, 1989.

One of the symbols of Christmas - the Bethlehem light –has arrived in the Czech Republic. The light is traditionally brought to the country from Vienna by Czech scouts and this year it was handed over to Bishop Vojtěch Cikrle at a special mass in Brno’s Cathedral of St. Peter and St Paul on Sunday. In the coming days it will be distributed all over the country for people to take home as a symbol of love and hope. Traditionally one of the sites in Prague where people will find the Bethlehem light is the Czech Radio building on Vinohradská street.

The vast majority of Czechs perceive Christmas as a family holiday and prefer to spend it at home or with relatives. According to the Czech Association of Travel Agencies interest in holidays abroad at this time of year is fairly small. Around 200 thousand people are reported to have booked stays in the mountains over Christmas and around 100 thousand headed for exotic destinations.

A good few years ago I used to live in a tiny flat in an old house called the Mouse Hole, which was just off the ancient street that runs along the bottom of the park below Prague Castle and the cathedral. In winter I used to go out to the park to collect kindling to help get my sluggish coal-fired stove to draw. On one occasion it had been snowing heavily and I traipsed out through deep drifts. Ever since then I have always had a very specific picture in my mind of the Victorian carol about the Czech patron Saint, the tenth century Prince – or

Thousands of people are attending Christmas masses celebrated in Czech and Latin around the country. Christmas masses in Prague’s Catholic churches are being celebrated in nine other languages besides Czech and Latin. These include English, German, French, Italian as well as Korean. On Christmas day English speaking residents can attend Christmas mass in English at the Church of Our Lady Victorious in the Lesser Quarter or hear mass in Latin at St. Havel’s Church. ( A list of masses celebrated in foreign languages is available on the web page of the Czech Bishop’s Conference) Although the Czech Republic is one of the most secular countries in Europe, attending Christmas mass is part of the Czech Christmas tradition and churches around the country are packed with people.

The vast majority of Czechs perceive Christmas as a family holiday and prefer to spend it at home or with relatives. According to the Czech Association of Travel Agencies interest in holidays abroad at this time of year is fairly small. Around 200 thousand people are reported to have booked stays in the mountains over Christmas and around 100 thousand headed for exotic destinations.

Prague mayor Bohuslav Svoboda served fish soup to the homeless on Prague’s Old Town Square on Christmas eve. Fish soup is part of the traditional Christmas meal eaten in most Czech households. The mayor served out more than 2,000 portions in the middle of the city’s main Christmas market exchanging well-wishes with people in the queue. Meanwhile, Transport Minister Vit Barta was busy handing out gifts and spreading good cheer at Prague’ main railway station where many of the city’s homeless congregate. The festive atmosphere on old Town Square culminated with a concert featuring the best-loved Czech Christmas mass by Jakub Jan Ryba performed by soloists of the National Theatre in Prague.

Christmas masses in Prague’s Catholic churches on Friday will be celebrated in ten other languages besides Czech. These include English, German, French, Italian as well as Latin and Korean. On Christmas Eve, English-language masses will be held at St Thomas Church in Malá Strana, while on Christmas day, English-speaking visitors can attend a mass at the Church of Our Lady of Victory, also in Malá Strana.

Christmas is not Christmas without music, and on this occasion we will be sharing with you some of the rich spirit and history of Czech carols, some from Christmas past and some from Christmas present.