Six weeks of markets on the squares, the tree on Old Town Square, carp in tubs on the pavement and a Christmas Eve that happens on the 24th. Everything from the first Advent Sunday to Three Kings Day.
Prague does Christmas properly, and it does it differently from most of Europe. The markets open with the tree lighting at the end of November and run to Three Kings Day in January. The main event is not the 25th but the evening of the 24th, spent at home over carp and potato salad. There are tubs of live fish on street corners, a lamp-lighter who walks the Charles Bridge, and a baby Jesus rather than a Santa Claus bringing the presents.
This page is the whole season in order: the dates, the markets worth walking to, what is actually eaten, where the music is, and the practical business of which days everything shuts. For the rest of the cold months — January, February, snow and ice rinks — see Winter in Prag.
The Advent calendar, date by date
Confirmed dates for the 2026–2027 season. Anything already past drops off this list automatically.
The markets, square by square
Two big markets on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square, and a dozen smaller ones where the crowd is local and the stock is Czech. Entry is free everywhere; the difference is what you find on the stalls.
The tree and the lights
Christmas Eve, the Czech way
The customs
What Christmas tastes like
Two separate menus run side by side in December: the market food you eat standing up in the cold, and the Christmas Eve dinner that happens indoors and follows rules.
On the table
Concerts, choirs and churches
Advent is the busiest month of the Prague concert year. Churches that are locked the rest of the winter open for choral evenings, and the big halls run Christmas programmes from the first week of December.
Concerts and opera
Choirs and churches
Christmas with children
The markets are genuinely good for children — live animals in the nativity pen on Old Town Square, a carousel, and food they will actually eat. Bring gloves and plan to leave before the evening crush.
Christmas for two
December is the busiest month of the year for proposals in Prague, and the reason is obvious the first time you see the Old Town Square from a window at dusk. February has its own guide.
The evening
Silvestr and the end of the season
New Year’s Eve
What you will look up anyway
Getting around
Dates and closures
Christmas in Prague, answered
When exactly are the markets open?
From the tree lighting at the end of November — 28 November in 2026 — until 6 January, daily from 10:00 to 22:00 on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square. Entry is free. The neighbourhood markets run shorter seasons, often finishing before Christmas Eve. Dates and hours for each one are in the markets guide.
Will there be snow?
Probably not, and certainly not reliably. Prague sits low and inland, and December is more often grey and damp around freezing than white. Snow is likelier in January and February — see Winter in Prag.
Why is Christmas on the 24th here?
Central European custom: the celebration is the evening of Štědrý den, the 24th. Families fast through the day, eat carp and potato salad at dinner, and open presents afterwards — brought by Ježíšek, the baby Jesus, not Santa Claus. The 25th and 26th are quiet public holidays.
Is anything open on 24, 25 and 26 December?
On the 24th, shops close by about 14:00 and most restaurants stay shut in the evening — book anything you need well ahead. On the 25th and 26th the markets and major sights open, most shops do not. The holidays guide has the detail.
Are the markets a tourist trap?
The two main squares are expensive and very crowded, and much of the merchandise is imported. They are still worth seeing once, especially early in the day. For the version locals use, go to the neighbourhood markets — Náměstí Míru, Jiřího z Poděbrad and the Castle courtyards.
What is the carp about?
Fried carp is the Christmas Eve main course, and in the week before the 24th it is sold live from tubs on street corners. Some families keep it in the bath for a day or two first. The full story is stranger than the summary.
When is the best time to come?
The first half of December, if you want the markets without the worst of the crowds. The week between Christmas and New Year is busy and expensive; the first week of January, with the markets still up and the city empty, is the quiet secret.
What should we book in advance?
Hotels for the whole of December, and any restaurant table on 24 or 31 December — those go months ahead. Concert tickets for the bigger Advent programmes sell out too. Everything else can be decided on the day.
Every Christmas article
The archive holds everything published on the holiday, newest first. The season guides below cover the rest of the year.
The 2026–2027 dates above are confirmed. Market opening hours and individual events change each year — the markets guide is updated every season, so check it before booking a trip around a date.
