Christmas celebrations muted in wake of Havel’s death

Christmas celebrations in the Czech Republic are muted in the wake of Vaclav Havel’s death. Many firms and institutions scrapped their Christmas parties and outdoor Christmas markets toned-down their events in a show of respect for the late president. Millions of Czechs will be sitting down to their traditional dinner of fried carp and potato salad on Saturday evening and for many people the events of the past few days will highlight the spiritual aspects of the holiday.