St Nicholas Day Prague 2026: Mikuláš, Angels and Devils
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In 2026 Mikuláš, the Czech St Nicholas, comes on the evening of Saturday 5 December, the eve of St Nicholas Day (Sunday 6 December). A trio walks the streets and visits homes: Mikuláš in a long cloak and tall hat with a crozier, an angel (anděl) and a devil (čert). Children recite a poem or sing a song and get treats; naughty ones are teased with coal or a potato. Confirmed in Prague on 5 December 2026: "Čerti na Čertovce" boat rides from 16:45, Mikuláš at the Public Transport Museum from 13:00 to 17:00, children's shows and the tree lighting on Kampa at 17:00. The programme of the Old Town Square Christmas market, which opens on 28 November, has not been published yet. Around Prague checked dates and venues against prague.eu, trhypraha.cz, hrad.cz, praha1.cz and praha-vysehrad.cz on 30 October 2026.
What Mikuláš is and how Czechs celebrate it
The custom goes back to St Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop in Asia Minor known for his charity. Unlike Santa Claus in Britain or the US, the Czech Mikuláš never became the Christmas gift-bringer: presents under the tree arrive on 24 December from Ježíšek, and Mikuláš is a separate Advent tradition. On the evening of 5 December he asks children whether they have been good; the angel stands for good, the devil for evil. A child who misbehaved promises to improve, says a poem or sings, and receives a bag of treats that parents prepared in advance. Coal or a potato is the joke punishment. Neither 5 nor 6 December is a public holiday.
Mikuláš in Prague 2026: event calendar
| When | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 3 and 4 Dec at 18:00; 5 Dec at 15:00, 17:00 and 19:00 | "Mikuláš – souboj Nebe a Pekla": acrobatics and live music, 60 minutes, age 6+ | Divadlo BRAVO!, Branická 63, Prague 4 |
| 3–13 Dec; 5 and 6 Dec at 11:00, 14:00 and 16:30 | "Hurvínkův Mikuláš", puppet fairy tale, age 4+ | Divadlo Spejbla a Hurvínka, Dejvická 38, Prague 6 |
| Sat 5 Dec, 11:00 | "Když je v pekle neděle" fairy tale, then presents on stage | Divadlo Image, Národní 25, Prague 1 |
| Sat 5 Dec, 13:00–17:00 | Mikuláš, angel and devil with small gifts among historic vehicles | Public Transport Museum, Vozovna Střešovice, Patočkova 132/2, Prague 6 |
| Sat 5 Dec, 16:30 | Christmas tree lighting | Malostranské náměstí, Prague 1 |
| Sat 5 Dec, from 16:45 | "Čerti na Čertovce": boat rides with devils, an angel and Mikuláš | Čertovka, Lesser Town |
| Sat 5 Dec, 17:00 | Christmas tree lighting | Kampa, Prague 1 |
Čerti na Čertovce. The ride takes about 30 minutes in the wooden boats Vodouch and Bivoj. Devils tell spooky but gentle stories on the banks, while the angel and Mikuláš reward children on board. The organiser is Pražské Benátky.
Divadlo Image. After the 70-minute fairy tale, children are called on stage one by one. Parents bring their own presents labelled with the child's name and hand them in before the show; every child in the hall also gets a small gift from the theatre.
Christmas markets, Prague Castle, Vyšehrad and the Lesser Town
- Old Town and Wenceslas Squares. The Christmas markets run from 28 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, daily 10:00–22:00. The 2026 programme page on trhypraha.cz is still empty. Earlier programmes, for example in 2019, included Mikuláš, but this is not confirmed for 2026. More in our Christmas markets guide.
- Prague Castle. From 28 November to 3 January the free "Vánoční putování Pražským hradem" leads through the decorated castle grounds to a Christmas labyrinth by the Forman Brothers' Theatre in the Imperial Stables. Until 20 December it is open Mon–Fri 14:00–18:00 and weekends 10:00–18:00. The castle has not announced a Mikuláš event.
- Vyšehrad. Its programme lists Sunday fairy tales in the Purkrabství; on 6 December at 15:00 it is the Christmas puppet show "Ovečka betlémská". No Mikuláš event has been announced.
- Lesser Town. In 2025 the Kampa tree lighting came with a procession of Mikuláš figures, angels and devils and a gift-giving. The 2026 notice gives only places and times, plus free tea or mulled wine.
Booking a home visit
"Mikuláš, čert a anděl na objednávku" means hiring the trio to visit your home or nursery, usually on the evening of 5 December. Agencies, students and groups of friends offer it, often advertising locally and on social media. A ČTK survey in 2025 found that a visit usually costs from CZK 500, students and volunteers charge less and professional groups more, and many are fully booked days in advance. Parents typically leave the gift bag outside the door and tell the visitors the child's name and what to praise or scold. Psychologists advise home visits only from about age 5, and many groups keep the devil at the door if a child is scared.
Getting there and tickets
- Čertovka boats: tickets and departure times on the organiser's site certinacertovce.cz.
- Public Transport Museum, Střešovice: entry with a regular museum ticket; details on dpp.cz.
- Children's shows: box offices and websites of Spejbl and Hurvínek Theatre, Divadlo BRAVO! and Image Theatre.
- Markets, Prague Castle and tree lightings: free.
- Guided Advent walks: official tours by Prague City Tourism on prague.eu.
FAQ
When is St Nicholas Day (Mikuláš) in Prague in 2026?
Mikuláš comes on the evening of Saturday 5 December 2026; St Nicholas Day itself is Sunday 6 December.
Where can I see Mikuláš, angels and devils in Prague?
On 5 December: the Čertovka boat rides from 16:45, the Public Transport Museum from 13:00 to 17:00, children's theatre shows and the Kampa tree lighting at 17:00.
Is Mikuláš the same as Santa Claus?
No. Mikuláš visits on 5 December with an angel and a devil and brings treats; Christmas presents come from Ježíšek on 24 December.
What do Czech children get from Mikuláš?
A bag of treats prepared by their parents. Coal or a potato is a joke for naughty children.
Will Mikuláš appear at the Old Town Square market?
The 2026 market programme has not been published yet. We will update this guide when the organiser announces it.
Sources: prague.eu: Kam za Mikulášem, Čerti na Čertovce, Mikuláš v Muzeu MHD, Hurvínkův Mikuláš, trhypraha.cz, hrad.cz, praha1.cz, praha-vysehrad.cz, ČTK on visit prices, Seznam Zprávy on age. Checked on 30 October 2026; confirm the programme with the organiser before you go.
See also: Prague Christmas markets 2026, Christmas markets in Prague and Czechia: top 12, Christmas in Czechia: traditions, Ice rinks in Prague, Advent in Prague 2026.
Photo: Mikuláš celebration in Lomnice, December 2023. Lubor Ferenc, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
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