The Bethlehem Light to Arrive at Brno on Saturday 9 December, the Scouts Will Bring It by railjet from Vienna

7. 12. 2023 - 14:23

This Saturday, 9 December, Junák members will bring the Bethlehem Light to the Czech Republic. As it has already become a tradition in recent years, they will take it over from their Austrian friends and then they will travel with it on the board of a railjet train of České dráhy to the South Moravian capital. The following Saturday, 16 December, they will then take it from there on the board of train connections all over the country.

This year the Scouts will transport the Bethlehem Light to the Czech Republic from Linz, where Austrian Scouts will hand it over to delegations from all over Europe. The Czech Junák members will then bring the Bethlehem Light from Vienna to Brno by the railjet 372 Vindobona train, specifically from the Wien Hbf railway station at 19:10 hours. They will arrive at Brno at 20:36 hours. Local Scouts or volunteers will take over the light from them and then they will spread the flame throughout the country on the following Saturday, 16 December. The flame of the Bethlehem Light will be transported by them in a military-type safety lamp. For more information, including dates, times and places to pick up the light, please visit www.betlemskesvetlo.cz.

The members of Junák will bring the Bethlehem light from Austria. The following Saturday, December 16, it will then be distributed throughout the country. Source: Junák - český skaut.

Tradition of the Bethlehem Light

The Light of Bethlehem is a little flame from Bethlehem which travels across Europe. The idea of spreading pre-Christmas peace and tranquillity originated in Austria, from where it spread to 25 countries around the world. It first arrived in 1986 by plane to Linz, where it became a part of the Austrian Radio and Television Christmas collection to help disabled children. The Light of Friendship, as the Bethlehem flame was also called, came to our country after the fall of the forty-year communist government and in the hands of the Scouts it first travelled in December 1989 to the statue of St. Wenceslas in Prague.

List of long-distance ČD trains by which the Scouts will deliver the Bethlehem Light on 16 December 2023

R 988 Vysočina: Brno hl.n. (06:20) – Praha hl.n. (09:54)
R 690 Labe: Praha hl.n. (10:45) – Děčín hl.n. (12:33)
R 612 Krušnohor: Ústí n. L. hl.n. (12:48) – Cheb (15:36)
R 768 Berounka: Praha hl.n. (12:05) – Plzeň hl.n. (13:37)
IC 562 Západní expres: Plzeň hl.n. (14:05) – Mariánské Lázně (15:06)
R 903 Bouzov: Brno hl.n. (07:18) – Šumperk (09:48)
Sp 1403: Zábřeh na Mor. (09:26) – Jeseník (10:58)
R 845 Praděd: Olomouc hl.n. (09:06) – Opava východ (11:32)
R 638 Rožmberk: Brno hl.n. (07:41) – Plzeň hl.n. (13:56)
R 322 Silva Nortica: Veselí n. Lužnicí (12:38) – Tábor (12:58)
R 764 Berounka: Plzeň hl.n. (15:40) – Klatovy (16:27)
R 872 Svitava: Brno hl.n. (06:56) – Pardubice hl.n. (08:56)
R 925 Krakonoš: Jaroměř (12:19) – Trutnov hl.n. (13:20)
R 805 Moravan: Brno hl.n. (08:36) – Olomouc hl.n. (10:51)
R 885 Slovácký expres: Staré Město u Uh. Hradiště (10:33) – Luhačovice (11:20)

From the train transfer railway stations on the route of the above-listed long-distance trains, the Bethlehem Light will then be distributed by other follow-up regional train connections to a number of places in the Czech Republic. A detailed overview is available on these pages.

On December 16, members of Junák will distribute the Bethlehem light throughout the country. Source: Junák - Český skaut.

Author: Petr Pošta

Release date: 7. 12. 2023

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