Angels and demons: Saint Nicholas delivers for Czech children with drive-through delights
- Rules limiting social contact meant the usual custom of costumed trios roaming Czech neighbourhoods to greet children was given a makeover
- The Czech government advised families to scale back or even forego the holiday as social distancing rules require masks to be worn inside
Saint Nicholas day took on some new twists for celebrating Czechs on Saturday, from drive-through visits to kitting his accompanying angels and devils out in gloves and masks so that they could hand out treats.
The Czech version of the holiday includes Saint Nicholas visiting with an angel and devil to reward well-behaved children with confectionery and less angelic ones with a lump of coal or a potato.
But rules limiting social contact due to the Covid-19 pandemic meant the usual custom of costumed trios roaming Czech neighbourhoods to greet children was given a makeover.
At one outdoor site on the top level of a shopping centre parking lot, horned devils danced around a car to scare the children inside before an angel swept in with a bag of sweets.
“We just drove into a fairy tale world and everything came alive,” said Lucie Cigankova, who brought her daughter Anicka.
“Experiences like this are great during the coronavirus.”