Holidays are slightly coming closer and Prague looks now even more beautiful with all the lights, Christmas markets and smells of cinnamon and fried chestnuts. The city is full of events, concerts and happy tourists.   

Traditionally in the end of November St. Mikulas day is held in Toulcuv Dvur. On 27 November, we took part in the event which celebrates the Advent. The day started with workshops for children (and sometimes for curious parents) and I faced the first big challenge during the first part of the day when I helped with a glass candle holders. How to explain to children what to do without speaking Czech? Well, gesture language is obviously not enough to explain why you have to glue paper on the jar. Thanks to the help from another volunteer, I didn’t have to speak much.

Later I had a chance to change my location and helped with making candles from wax. To be honest I just wanted to try it myself because it looked so exciting! During the lunch I had to stay (for half an hour, but it’s quite enough if you can’t say a word) face to face with a children who were eager to make a candle. I decided to try my best and this time I managed to make an explanation in half English/half Czech. Children were so impressed and happy when they held their own candle in hands, and basically came to show us their results. That's why now I know 8 different words to say a compliment.

In the evening the most impressive part waited for us, because me and Aljaz were involved in a theatrical show. St. Mikulas, angels (one of them was me) and devils (one of them was represented by Aljaz), St. Barbora and other characters appeared in Toulcuv dvur to reward good children and to scare the misbehaving ones. We had a lot of fun while we were dressing for the show. Our diving into the local traditions was completed with singing traditional Czech carols.

Diana