Oh, Christmas tree

The annual Christmas tree lighting on Prague's Old Town Square took place as the season's first snow in Prague fell Nov. 27, kicking off the 2010 holidays and officially opening the Christmas markets on Old Town and Wenceslas squares.

Singing icon Karel Gott started the festivities by lighting the tree at around 5 p.m., and outgoing Mayor Pavel Bém also made an appearance. While the atmosphere was decidedly cheerful, the thousands of revelers pushing forward to get a glimpse of the spectacle caused two injuries and eventually forced rescue services to intervene.

The 20-meter-tall spruce was brought in from a forest on the outskirts of Zaječov in the Beroun region. It was decorated in Art Nouveau style, with ornaments inspired by painter Alphonse Mucha.

The Old Town Christmas market has around 100 stalls selling traditional sweets and baked goods, wreaths, crafts and plenty of mulled wine to fight off the sub-zero temperatures. The market is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and until 8 p.m. on weekends.

Architects who put the tree up said they had ensured it was stable and protected from heavy winds. Just days before this year's tree lighting, a court ordered 1 million Kč ($53,419) in additional compensation for a British tourist who was paralyzed when the Old Town tree fell on him in 2003.

Cat Contiguglia can be reached at
ccontiguglia@praguepost.com