Monday, December 6, 2010

Angels and Devils Day, 5 Dec. 2010, Ceske Budejovice

We heard about this festivity last Thursday...it sounded intriguing. Today (5 Dec. 2010) is a day when angels and devils visit all the little children and see how they've been behaving around the city of Ceske Budejovice.

We bundle ourselves up and get to the Historic City Square about 2 hours before everything starts at 1745 hrs, to make sure that we have a parking spot in the square (quite a feat, but we did it!) before the Metska Policie close it down to traffic.

Here's City Hall bluing against the evening sky...



As the sun sets, it becomes cold although we are strangely warmed by the aromas of hot mulled wine, hot cider, and the famous potato pancakes made with marjoram (bramborák)--particularly after we've had one!  Mark says they're 'not bad'....the truest of compliments from a Minnesotan!




Our cheeks are already red from the cold wind, so the hot potato pancakes are mighty tasty!
This guy has surely had a few too many....
The square begins to fill with people! It becomes packed solid within the hour...
City hall lights up as the sun disappears; the Renaissance Fountain glows as well.


 Devils abound in the snow...selling their wares. These devilsl have lighted red horns for any aberrant child:
 
 Hmm.....apparently, a few have not been so good this year or at least for parts of it, since our horns blink off and on again!
  
Ferocious Neil!
Apparently even a few of the dogs have not been on their best behavior, either! (Is that you, Archie?!)

Other devils surface, not too warm against the cold...

 From the heights of the Black Tower at one corner of the square,
descends someone testing out the guide wire for the angel to descend on:
 down he slides...past buildings surrounding the square, to drop down to the ground.


Přílet anděla na náměstí České Budějovice


Arrival of an Angel to the Square, Czech Budejovice




At 1745 hours, the Square darkens and high from the Black Tower a white figure appears and begins to descend

 down, down
 past the tower
 glowing in the dark
with golden hair and a basket raining treats down to the good kiddies
 
She makes her final descent to the Square.  In the opposite corner of the Square from the Black Tower she reappears in the spotlight, larger than life!
 She begins to walk towards us, past the lit tree with her wings hovering, hands gesturing to the crowd.
 The pipe organ and bagpipes play her triumphant entrance theme!



 She stands in front of the Square and speaks to the crowd, gesturing with her long arms:





 She then proceeds to slowly march around the entire Square--nearly as tall as the 3 to 4-story buildings, spreading snow from the cuffs of her sleeves. Click on this video below to see her as she spreads the snowflakes around the Square (sorry it's short; we're trying to figure out how to upload longer videos that we have):





Festive sparklers bedazzle the children
While two ladies do a duo with flaming torches. (How they didn't catch their long hair on fire was simply amazing!)


 The Angel disappears and the glow of city lights haunt the Square. Everyone quickly bustles away to warm up!



Disclaimer: This blog is not an official University of Minnesota or Fulbright Program blog. The views expressed are my own and not those of the Fulbright Program, the U.S. Department of State or any of its partner organizations, or the University of Minnesota.

1 comment:

  1. OF COURSE my two guys are devils! Perfect! Angels are overrated.

    ReplyDelete