Prague celebrates Christmas with locals and tourists on Kampa Island

The city of Prague celebrated Christmas with locals and tourists during a lunch with traditional fish soup on Kampa Island in the city center yesterday afternoon. Due to some unseasonably warm weather, a large number of people joined the city in the festivities.

The event was organized by Prague 1 Town Hall, along with local small business organizations The Association of Citizens and Friends of Mala Strana and Hradčany and The Association for the New Town of Prague.

The Christmas lunch organized in the city center has been a longtime tradition in Prague, but did not take place in 2020 or 2021 due to the pandemic and related restrictions that also saw Prague's Christmas markets cancelled.

"We have invited our neighbors, people who live on both sides of the Vltava River, and naturally also visitors to Prague 1, the center of the capital," Prague 1 spokesman Petr Bidlo told reporters yesterday afternoon.

"250 litres of fish soup have been prepared at Kampa. Additionally, soup will be served in the upper part of Wenceslas Square from 1:00 p.m., and Prague 1 and its social service center will cater a lunch for lonely seniors."

A large number of people joined the city for the Christmas lunch, with many bringing their own bottles of wine and homemade Christmas cookies or pastries. A band regaled the crowd with traditional Christmas carols.

Due to the warm weather, nearby tourist locations also saw large crowds, with Seznam Zprávy reporting a long line of tourists waiting to enter Prague Castle on Saturday morning.

Other venues in Prague also spread some holiday cheer with festive community gatherings on December 24. Elsewhere in Malá Strana, the city invited senior citizens who didn't have a family to celebrate with to come to Malostranská Beseda for a communal Christmas dinner.

The charity organizations Salvation Army and Caritas of the Archdiocese of Prague joined efforts to provide a Christmas meal for the homeless that included fish soup, fried carp or schnitzel, and potato salad, the traditional Czech Christmas dinner. An estimated 200 people were served.

At the Westfield Chodov shopping center, senior citizens, those with disabilities, and others who might be alone for the holidays were invited to come together to enjoy a traditional Christmas dinner.

Charity events will continue on December 25, as Prague Archbishop Jan Graubner from the Czech Catholic Church oversees an annual Christmas lunch for people in need.