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Although the Czech Republic is regarded as one of the most atheistic countries in Europe, an opinion survey conducted by the STEM polling agency suggests that 39 percent of Czechs will attend Christmas mass. Thirty-two percent of the population identify themselves as “believers”, with forty percent of those being older than 60.

Baby Jesus holds his own against Santa, why are small bells a necessity in every Czech home at Christmas and the festive season on people’s nails. Find out more in a special Christmas edition of Magazine with Daniela Lazarová.

Every year the start of Advent in late November sees the opening of traditional Christmas markets in the Czech capital, among the most popular the market on the city’s historic Old Town Square. Surrounded by famous medieval architecture, red-roofed stands, decorated with sprigs of evergreen, sell everything from hand-painted baubles to traditional nativity scenes. Open for more than a month, the market features daily programmes such as children’s workshops and concerts in the run-up to Christmas. It also offers a variety of refreshments - a draw

A survey by the Czech online shopping search engine Heureka.cz and the auction webpage Aukro.cz shows that 95 percent of Czechs shop online for at least part of their Christmas presents. For 46 percent of the customers, lower prices are what make online shops attractive. Convenience was cited as an appeal for 27 percent of online shoppers and 12 percent said that there was more variety of goods to choose from online. Internet shopping has been rising steadily and this year is expected to account for revenue of about 27 billion Czech crowns.

Close to 300,000 Czechs will be spending Christmas abroad, according to a December survey conducted by the company Stem/Mark. The survey also showed that 50 percent of all Czechs could imagine spending Christmas outside of the Czech Republic, and one in eight Czechs dreams of spending Christmas on the beach. A drop in prices for package holidays and a rise in the living standard are cited as the main reasons for the trend.

Orange, cinnamon and white-coffee coloured Christmas tree decorations are in vogue this year, the country’s biggest producer of painted glass baubles Vánoční ozdoby DUV-družstvo told the Czech News Agency. A colour referred to as Roman gold is also ‘in’ for Christmas 2009, as are combinations of brown and other colours. Around 30 percent of Vánoční ozdoby DUV-družstvo’s sales are connected to what is in fashion in any given year; the rest of its production is in the traditional silver, gold and red.

Three people were injured at the Christmas market on Prague’s Náměstí Míru on Monday in a fire that burnt down four of the sales stands. None of the injuries were critical. The fire was apparently caused by a gas leak in a pastry stand. The four stands were entirely consumed within eight minutes; two gas cylinders inside them were unscathed, however. Christmas markets officially opened around Prague last Saturday.

A Christmas market opened in the centre of Prague on Saturday. Visitors can browse hand-made goods and traditional Czech Christmas fare at the market in Prague’s Old Town square that boasts some 100 stands and features live music from around the world. On Sunday, a smaller and more modern market in downtown Prague will open its gates to visitors at the bottom of Wenceslas Square. Throughout the city, a number of other Christmas markets will be held starting in late November and early December.

A 27-metre spruce was felled Sunday and taken to Prague to become the Christmas tree in Old Town Square. The tree was chosen from the Krkonoš Mountains as it has been for the last six years. This year however was the first that the tree was taken from a location accessible to onlookers, and several dozen people attended the cutting. The historic square’s Christmas tree is carefully selected each year; this year’s spruce, which stood on the bank of the Elbe River, was scheduled for felling regardless of Christmas due to concerns that a flood could bring it down on a nearby bridge.

This year’s Christmas tree that will be displayed on Prague’s Old Town Square will be given to the city as a gift by the town of Vrchlabí, the Association of Christmas Markets announced on Friday. The tree, which measures over 27 metres, will arrive in the Czech capital on November 24 when the annual Christmas market will open on the square. A celebratory lighting ceremony of the tree will take place on November 28. when the traditional Christmas market will open on Prague’s Old Town Square.