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Christmas is everywhere in Prague at the moment, from the sparkling lights in the city’s trees to the festive markets selling mulled wine and mistletoe. But one outpost of festive activity that you might miss if you didn’t look out for it is the exhibition of nativity scenes currently running up at Prague Castle.

Packed parking lots, packed stores: that’s the situation in most Prague shopping malls these days in the final weeks before Christmas. According to reports, Czechs are spending more than ever: economists are predicting that this holiday season Czechs will plonk down record amounts, a rise in the billions.

Two of Prague’s best-known Christmas markets opened on Saturday at the city’s Old Town and Wenceslas Squares, selling roasted chestnuts, mead, Christmas decorations, and traditional holiday items. 150 stands are selling wares. Saturday’s events include the lighting of the Christmas tree on the Old Town Square, to be attended by Prague’s Mayor Pavel Bem. Organisers expect between 15,000 – 20,000 visitors to attend. The markets will stay open until January 1st, 2008.

Czechs are buying advent calendars for cats and dogs! Disgruntled police officers are leaving their jobs and putting their uniforms on the market – for the underworld to snap up. And, what did mum and dad do with the Semtex?! Find out more in Magazine with Daniela Lazarova.

With the holiday season just around the corner, the traditional Prague Christmas market is due to open on Saturday in the historic centre of the Czech capital. Both visitors to Prague and locals can come to see what’s in store this year in Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square and sample some traditional Czech Christmas delicacies.

One Christmas carol that doesn't hail from the Czech Republic is the one about Good King Wenceslas, although he is this country's patron Saint and ruled here in the 10th century, until he was disposed of by the fratricidal Boleslav. The snow hasn't exactly been "deep and crisp and even" either so far this winter, but there is plenty of Christmas spirit about. Christmas Eve is the big day for Czech children, when "Jezisek" - the Infant Jesus - brings the presents, after the family has enjoyed a meal of fried carp and potato salad. And there is also

You're listening to a Christmas edition of SoundCzech - Radio Prague's Czech language series in which you'll learn useful phrases through song lyrics. Today we chose a popular Christmas song for you, called "Vánoce přicházejí" or "Christmas is coming" which pokes fun at the fretful atmosphere and nervous chaos in the house when Christmas is drawing close.

The town of Ustek enjoys its annual Angels' Mass, a nativity scene in a poppy head and what does Jezisek look like? Find out more in a Christmas edition of Magazine with Daniela Lazarova.

The Czech-born Catholic theologian Tomas Spidlik is a specialist on Eastern and Slavic Christian spirituality and also a prolific author. Even though he has not lived in this country since 1951, many Czechs know his voice well from his regular appearances on Vatican Radio. Cardinal Spidlik spoke earlier to Radio Prague on the line from the Vatican about the significance of Christmas.

Amid the feverish pre-Christmas preparations, few people have time to stop and think about the holiday's religious significance. That's true all over the world perhaps, but here in the Czech Republic there's also the added concern that traditional Czech Christmas traditions such as presents being delivered by the Baby Jesus are being shoved aside by Western imports such as Santa Claus. So what does Christmas mean to someone who does hold religious beliefs? Rob Cameron spoke to writer and philosopher Erazim Kohak, an active member of the evangelical