Prague Christmas market returns after COVID but with fewer lights

A Christmas tree is illuminated as the traditional Christmas market opens at the Old Town Square in Prague, Czech Republic, November 26, 2022. REUTERS/David W Cerny

PRAGUE (Reuters) - Thousands of people poured into Prague's medieval Old Town Square at the weekend for the lighting of a 25-metre (80-foot) Christmas tree and the reopening of the annual market after a two-year COVID-19 shutdown, but the energy crisis meant fewer lights than usual.

The market, which is popular with Czechs and foreign tourists alike thanks to its mulled wine, sausages, sweets and gifts, was set up with more energy-efficient bulbs to both save money and send a seasonal message of energy efficiency.