Pumpkins take center stage as Halloween celebrations begin in Czech Republic

From the city zoo to the country farm, pumpkin fever hit the Czech Republic this week as Halloween arrived. 

In Prague, meerkats enjoyed a spooky season treat, tucking into pumpkins as part of an enrichment programme. Meanwhile, in a village about an hour from the capital, families explored a pumpkin paradise. 

It was a good pumpkin harvest this year, says farmer Josef Pipek. Despite this summer's drought across Central Europe, the Pipek farm was able to harvest pumpkins of all different shapes, sizes and colours. 

Halloween is a new holiday in the Czech Republic. Czechs traditionally mark All Souls' Day on November 2—a sombre holiday for honouring the dead. But Halloween—which has its roots in Ireland and the British Isles—has been catching on in recent years, with trick-or-treating, spooky decorations and parties all increasingly common sights. 

Camera: Eva Korinkova, David Cerny. Editing and production: Thomas Holdstock/Reuters