Without a Thanksgiving buffer, Christmas decorations show up even earlier here in Prague than in the States. I've spent the last three Decembers excessively working until the day before we head out on holiday, and each year I've missed the chance to walk the city taking pictures and enjoying the season. This year promises to be much quieter, and I'm looking forward to the next few weeks and getting to enjoy and share all the stops Prague pulls out for the holidays. Here are a few pictures I thought might help set the scene!
{1} Star light from street view, {2} gateway into a nave, {3} a delighted cherub, {4} stained glass industrial style, {5} C shows off our latest project...
You might know the Czech Republic for its beautiful ornaments. Blown glass balls and twisted spiral drops, santas and hippos and an orchestra of glass instruments - you can find them all in the Christmas markets. But my favorite Czech Christmas decorations are the old beaded ornaments shaped as ferris wheels and bicycles, sleds and bells, stockings and airplanes. Every year I try to add one beaded ornament to our collection. Antique stores are my best bet for a good find; I've found beauties as far away as Vienna, and as close by as around the corner from home. This year, with more time on my hands, I decided to try to make a beaded addition myself. The star Caroline holds is the first result. Next up, I may try a bicycle of my own. Photos to come!
{1} Star light from street view, {2} gateway into a nave, {3} a delighted cherub, {4} stained glass industrial style, {5} C shows off our latest project...
You might know the Czech Republic for its beautiful ornaments. Blown glass balls and twisted spiral drops, santas and hippos and an orchestra of glass instruments - you can find them all in the Christmas markets. But my favorite Czech Christmas decorations are the old beaded ornaments shaped as ferris wheels and bicycles, sleds and bells, stockings and airplanes. Every year I try to add one beaded ornament to our collection. Antique stores are my best bet for a good find; I've found beauties as far away as Vienna, and as close by as around the corner from home. This year, with more time on my hands, I decided to try to make a beaded addition myself. The star Caroline holds is the first result. Next up, I may try a bicycle of my own. Photos to come!
11 comments:
I felt in the mood to decorate today and now I see your photos and I am even more determined. Next Monday, I shall start :)
Everything starts going up here for first advent, all the lights are stars are going up in windows and on trees, helping to push away the dark a bit. We'll get ours out on Sunday and decorate the house :) I'm in the Christmas mood!
Sunday our Advent wreath comes out here too and C starts her Advent calendar countdown!
I adore your photos and can't wait to see more of them - sharing your Christmas this way from across the world promises to be bliss!
Thanks Mary, I'm really looking forward to an Australian Christmas through the net too!
Lovely! So glad you'll have a bit more freedom to wander the city, camera in hand, this holiday season.
Because we were distant from other members of our family in the USA the Christmas rituals took on greater power. Each year we added to the things decorating the tree and, at some personal hassle, brought much of this stuff back with us. The horribly battered angel was used for a decade afterwards and the year it was replaced deserved one of my more sardonic sonnets. To be written sometime in the future while listening to The Sixteen doing "The Messiah" perhaps.
What beautiful stars. I hope you post photos of your beaded ornaments!
What a relief to know you're not going to be so crazy busy this holiday season and that you can get out there and enjoy the sights and sounds. Have you had any sledding weather yet? Are you headed back to Switzerland for Christmas?
We're still seeing weather just above freezing here in Prague, so no sledding yet, but that's totally fine for me, especially as we will head to Switzerland and we've got some cross country and sledding schemes afoot already!
Oh, I love the ornament!
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