Do you want to see the New Year's Czech Republic? Come a few days before Christmas, in the early 20s of December. Prague is transformed before Christmas, it is already ready for the New Year holidays - everything is decorated with multi-colored garlands, there are many live Christmas trees in tubs all around. Christmas melodies are heard from everywhere. A week before the celebration, a live Christmas tree is installed in the main square of the city.

How Christmas and New Year are celebrated in the Czech Republic

The eve of Christmas - st. Nicolas day(in Czech "Mikulas"). Catholics celebrate it December 6.

Starting from this day, children receive their first gifts - St. Nicholas and his retinue walk along the roads and congratulate the kids.

In Russia, Christmas begins two weeks later - due to the difference between the Gregorian and Julian calendars.

Catholic Christmas in the Czech Republic

The population of the Czech Republic is mostly atheists. According to the 2011 census, about 80% of respondents said they had no religion or refused to answer this question.

The largest number of believers are Catholics.

TO Christmas Eve, which is celebrated on December 24, carp are fattened all year round. A festive table is unthinkable without them.

The carp scales are not thrown away, but washed and placed under each guest’s plate, along with a small coin - for good luck.

This scale is sometimes carried in a wallet for the entire next year - so that money is not transferred.

Christmas Eve is also called Generous evening- on the table 12 Lenten dishes, and guests must try each of them. They also put out an extra plate for the occasional guest.

At Christmas in Prague, it is customary to buy young carp from traders in order to release them into the water a minute or two later.

In the city park, tame bears are treated to sweets. Bears were dangerous for the inhabitants of the medieval city; they tried to appease them so that they would not be “offended” and would not come to people.

The danger no longer exists, but the tradition remains. So Christmas Eve is also called Bear day.

And the very next day it’s the turn of the Christmas goose and other various cookies and rich sweets.

From December 25 until the New Year, numerous nativity scenes are open, and carolers walk the streets. If two “devils” meet each other, they can arrange a light brawl between themselves until the “Nicholas” separate them.

How would you like this option:

• In the morning, go on a bus and walking tour of Prague. Price 10 euro per person.
• After the tour, attend a master class on how to prepare a real Christmas dinner. Experienced chefs will teach you all the intricacies of local cuisine. The prepared dish can then be eaten with appetite. Cost of the master class - 45 Euro.
• In the evening, go to a medieval show in Detenice. Show cost 35 euro per person. A lavish New Year's dinner, an interesting festive program, fireworks and fireworks awaits you.

Or this schedule:

• Devote the morning to sightseeing.
• Take a walk in one of the city parks. Each of them provides ski and skate rentals for active recreation enthusiasts. There are slopes for sledding.
• Take a master class on baking zucchini. The cost of the course is 45 euros.
• And in the evening, join the mysterious, and walk along the route of “Mystical Prague”. As a rule, it is conducted by a guide dressed as a skeleton. Price 15 euro per person.

And on January 1, in the late afternoon, fireworks begin throughout Prague. The most popular fireworks performance takes place on the banks of the Vltava River.

New Year's Prague for children

For Russian-speaking children during the Christmas holidays in the theater Coruni Traditional Christmas tree performances with Father Frost and Snow Maiden are held. Starts at 10.00 am.

A visit to the Prague Zoo will bring a lot of pleasure to your child. There are enclosures where pets roam free and you are allowed to interact with them. This zoo is the pride of Prague residents; you can spend half a day there unnoticed. Costs a ticket from 35 Euro.

Take your child to a cooking class, he will love it.

For lovers of classical opera and ballet, we recommend visiting the production of The Sleeping Beauty at the Prague State Opera (Státní opera Praha). Not everyone likes the modern production of the ballet “The Nutcracker” at the National Opera; they are often dissatisfied and believe that all that remains of the ballet is the music.

Preparing for your trip

The most convenient way to get from Russia to Prague is by plane from Moscow or St. Petersburg. It is better to entrust your trip to one of the time-tested tour operators.

Trips to the Czech Republic of varying durations are offered, for example a New Year's tour - “Magnificent Prague”, cost 580-700 euros, you can pay in rubles.

As usual, the group leader will meet you at the airport and provide all the necessary information.

There are also bus tours to Prague. They depart from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad. These tours are much cheaper than traveling by plane.

If you plan to go on an independent trip, keep in mind that you will have to develop the entire program yourself.

You can stay in a hotel, hostel or rent luxury apartments, you just need to make a reservation in advance.

The cost of living will depend on the location of the hotel, its star rating, and of course on the choice of a specific room.

It is better to find a Russian-speaking guide in advance who will meet you and take you on a walk around Prague. This service must be arranged in advance.

Christmas atmosphere:

New Year in Prague - reviews from tourists

• “We have long dreamed of going to Prague at Christmas. We couldn’t even imagine such a fairy tale - two weeks practically in the center of Europe. Live shops are just a sight for sore eyes. We ate some sweets and brought them with us. In every square we were treated to them. I’m taking home about a dozen recipes.”

  Maria

• “We stayed in a regular three-star hotel. The staff turned out to be wonderful, the boy at the reception desk, having learned that we were in Prague for the first time, gave us a map of the city and showed us what and where it was. And another remembered the phone number of the Russian guide and immediately called him. Everything was great, I enjoyed the trip. There were, of course, minor inconveniences, but they didn’t spoil our mood.”

  Victor

• “I never thought that New Year’s Prague is such a fascinating sight. And that I, a serious person over 45, suddenly wants to forget about everything and have fun like a five-year-old boy. And so become immersed in the history of the ancient medieval castle. And our guide is a funny old lady. It got us all excited, we remembered our youth, we had a blast. And we fell in love with Prague forever.”

  In the Czech Republic, preparations for Christmas - Vánoce in Czech - begin long before December 25th. On St. Andrew's Day, November 30, Prague and thirteen Czech regions are immersed in the magical atmosphere of Advent, the expectation of the Messiah. On city streets, here and there, Christmas trees with Bethlehem stars on the tops “grow” in large flower pots, bouquets of evergreen mistletoe miraculously appear on the front doors of houses, colored garlands are lit in the windows. In the heart of old Prague, on Old Town and Wenceslas Squares, souvenir sellers set up their stalls, and the wind carries the alluring aromas of punch, mulled wine, grog, roasted chestnuts and boiled corn throughout all the nooks and crannies.

  On December 4, St. Barbara's Day, Czechs cut branches from cherry trees - barborki - and place them in water. By Christmas, barborkas should bloom, which means they should bring good luck. The day on which the first greenery appears on the chilled branches will symbolize the most successful month in the coming year. According to an old tradition, three weeks before Christmas, the housewives of Czech houses begin to bake festive gingerbread cookies (Zázvorky) and vanilla horns (Vanilkové rohlíčky). Today this custom is rarely followed, baking cookies, maximum, three to four days before the great holiday.

  On December 6, the day of St. Nicholas - Mikulas - the first children's matinee is organized in the Czech Republic. Old man Mikulash, with a long gray beard and staff reminiscent of the Russian Father Frost, walks the streets with a large box of gifts in the company of a devil and an angel and is interested in the behavior of local children. Sweet gifts - candy (bonbóny), gingerbread (perníčky), nuts (ořechy) - go to diligent and well-mannered children, as well as to those who amuse Mikulas with a kind poem or a funny song. On this day, on Třebíč Square in Karlovy Vary, traditional fun is held in honor of Mikulas: city residents light Christmas trees and sing carols.

  Czechs spend almost a whole week in pre-Christmas fun, and on December 13, the day of St. Lucia, the protector against witchcraft and enchantment, young Czech women put on white robes, whiten their faces with powder and go out into the street in search of carefree passers-by from whom they can get money or candy.

  A week before Christmas, fish sellers and lines of traditional Czechs appear on the streets of the Czech Republic, lining up in front of large tubs of water. Selected carps splash in these tubs, which were raised in special ponds throughout the year. It is believed that there should not be a single piece of meat on the Czech Christmas table; the traditional Christmas dish of Czech cuisine is fried carp (smažený kapr) with a side dish of potato salad (bramborový salát).

  Christmas Eve on December 24 in the Czech Republic is called Generous Evening. On this day, also called Bear Christmas, it is customary to feed the bears with sweets. For example, residents of the city of Cesky Krumlov feed the bears living in the fortress moat.

  When the first star appears in the sky, Czech homes sit down to the table. One of the good signs of this evening is the even number of guests and the number of prepared dishes equal to nine. On the Christmas table you can almost always see Czech pies (koláč), pancakes (lívance), filled flour balls (knedlíky), and lentil soup. The traditional Christmas alcoholic drink in the Czech Republic is Becherovka, a liqueur made from medicinal herbs, prepared according to an old Czech recipe. In Karlovy Vary there is a whole Becherovka museum, by visiting which you can learn the history of the drink, the intricacies of its preparation and even taste it. As for Christmas beer, it is brewed in the Czech Republic in limited quantities and is sold in bars only as draft beer. In Russia, Czech Christmas beer (Pražečka Christmas) can be found in large supermarkets.

  For dessert in the Czech Republic they serve traditional Christmas cake (vánočka) with almonds and raisins, waffles (oplatky) with honey, cakes (vánoční dortíky), gingerbread cookies and tiny cookies with a diameter of 2-3 cm (cukroví). Around Christmas, in Czech stores you can buy more than twenty types of this delicacy, sold in large colorful boxes by weight and individually.

  On Christmas night in the Czech Republic, three masses are celebrated, which are a symbol of the birth of Christ in the womb of the Father, in the womb of the Mother of God and in the soul of every believer. During religious services, Czech streets are empty. The Basilica of St. George in Prague, the Bethlehem Chapel, and the Church of Our Lady the Victorious are filled with Czechs of all ages. Everywhere, both in houses and on city streets, you can see the so-called Bethlems, models of mangers with figures of the born savior and the Virgin Mary, surrounded by shepherds and angels, donkeys, camels and other animals. Once upon a time, each Czech family made its own model of a manger from wood, straw, paper and clay. Today, the production of Bethlems is increasingly being done by professional artists, exhibiting their works in churches and city squares. Such exhibitions are akin to puppet theater shows telling the story of the main miracle of Christmas - elegant dolls move and sing, and in some places you can see live donkeys and ponies, decorously carrying happy children along the winter sidewalks. In the Czech Republic, a whole cult of the baby Jesus has been created - here he is affectionately called Jerzyška (Ezulatko) and is depicted as a festively dressed rosy doll. The Jesulatka Museum in Prague displays dresses made for the baby Jesus by queens and princesses from all over the world.

  On the first day of Christmas, December 25, people come to the embankments of the Vltava - on this river the cities of Cesky Krumlov, Ceske Budejovice, Prague - with aquariums, buckets, pots and bags filled with water. This tradition appeared relatively recently, but every year more and more kind-hearted Czechs bring carp to the river, which should have become Christmas dinner. The fish, having spent Christmas evening in bathtubs and basins on tables, having already received names, are solemnly released into the cold waters of the river.

  The Czech Christmas tale does not end there. On December 26, on St. Stepan's Day, it is customary for the Czechs to inspect betlemas and sing carols; On the day of John the Evangelist, December 27, a ritual of wine purification takes place, and on December 31, along with the New Year, St. Sylvester's Day comes in the Czech Republic, on which it is customary to visit relatives and give gifts.

  The cheerful din on the streets of Prague and thirteen Czech regions does not subside for a minute. The lights are still burning in the windows of the houses, the bouquets of mistletoe on the front doors sparkle with gold wrapping paper, the spruce, fir and pine trees growing in huge flower pots still look just as fresh and fabulous, and over the red brick roofs, covered with white snow, the wind blows with renewed vigor it carries the alluring smells of fried sausages and glazed gingerbread, the aromas of punch, grog and mulled wine.

  Recipes

  Christmas punch

  Ingredients:
  200 ml rum
  100 g raisins
  ½ l strong black tea
  ½ l red wine
  a few slices of lemon
  2 pieces whole cinnamon
  4 things. dried cloves

  Preparation:
  Soak the raisins in rum for several hours. Next, bring the mixed tea, red wine, lemon slices, cinnamon pieces and dried cloves to a boil. Pour rum with raisins soaked in it into thick glass glasses, pour a slightly cooled drink of tea and wine on top, after removing the spices.

  Christmas gingerbread cookies

  Ingredients:
  225 g flour
  90 g butter
  90 g sugar
  1 egg
  1 tbsp. ground ginger
  ground cinnamon, cloves on the tip of a knife
  1 packet of baking powder or 1 tsp. soda slaked in vinegar

  Preparation:
  Beat softened butter with sugar. Separately, beat the egg, add ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, whipped butter and sugar, baking powder or soda slaked in vinegar, flour. Knead the dough and put it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Place the chilled dough on a floured work surface and roll out to a thickness of 3mm. Using various cutters, cut out the cookies, place them on a baking sheet, the bottom of which has been previously covered with baking paper, and place in the oven preheated to 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

  Vanilla crescents (horns)

  Ingredients:
  280 g flour
  200 butter
  80 g powdered sugar
  vanilla sugar
  100 g ground walnuts

  Preparation:
  Sift flour, vanilla sugar and powdered sugar, ground walnuts in a deep bowl. Gradually stir in the softened butter, knead the dough, wrap it in food foil and refrigerate for 30-40 minutes. Form small crescent-shaped bagels from the chilled dough, place on a baking sheet, the bottom of which has been pre-lined with baking paper, and bake in an oven preheated to 180 degrees until the bagels are browned. Sprinkle the finished cookies with powdered sugar.

  Christmas gingerbread

  Ingredients:
  650 g flour
  250 g powdered sugar
  50 g melted butter
  100 g liquid honey
  3 eggs
  1 tsp cocoa
  1 tsp salt
  2 tsp a mixture of ground cloves, allspice, cinnamon and a pinch of ginger

  For the glaze:
  150 g powdered sugar
  1 protein
  1 tsp starch
  A few drops of lemon juice

  Preparation:
  Mix melted butter with honey, add eggs, cocoa, salt, and seasoning mixture to the cooled mixture. Sift flour and powdered sugar onto a board, add the mixture obtained earlier, knead the dough and leave under the film for 24 hours. The next day, roll out the dough to a thickness of 0.5 cm and cut out the gingerbread cookies using various cutters. If the dough seems too tight, keep it in a water bath for a while. Place the gingerbread cookies on a greased baking sheet and bake until done at a temperature of 160-190 degrees.
  Decorate the cooled gingerbread with glaze made from powdered sugar, whipped with egg white, lemon juice and starch.

  Christmas carp baked in the oven with sage

  Ingredients:
  1 carp
  120 g butter
  125 g cream

  Preparation:
  Gut and scale the fish, divide the carcass into two parts, pepper, salt and sprinkle with sage. Melt 80 g of butter on a baking sheet, place the carp, pour the remaining melted butter on top of the fish. Bake the fish in the oven at high temperature, periodically basting the carp with fish broth or water. Place the finished fish on a plate and cover with a lid. Mix the juice remaining after cooking the fish with cream, bring to a boil and pour it over the carp.

  Bramboran (potato) salad

  Ingredients:
  300 g potatoes
  juice and zest of 1 lime
  50 ml olive oil
  10 g fresh grated ginger
  green onions
  ground white pepper

  Preparation:
  Peel the potatoes, cut into 1cm cubes and boil in salted boiling water. Rinse the finished potatoes with cold water and place in a bowl. For the dressing, combine lime zest and juice, ginger, finely chopped green onions, ground white pepper and olive oil. Season the potatoes with the mixture and place in the refrigerator. You can serve the salad with sour cream and chopped mint.

  Lebanese (pancakes)

  Ingredients:
  ½ l warm milk
  500 g flour
  2 eggs
  30 g yeast
  60 g sugar
  10 g lemon zest
  100 g marmalade
  80 g cottage cheese
  salt

  Preparation:
  Prepare yeast dough using the sponge method from yeast, sugar, milk, flour, a pinch of salt, lemon zest and eggs.
  Grease a frying pan with melted fat and fry small pancakes until golden brown. Grease the finished pancakes with marmalade and sprinkle with cottage cheese. Lebanese can be served with sour cream or whipped cream.

  Fruit dumplings

  Ingredients:
  250 g cottage cheese
  1 egg
  2 tbsp. decoys
  ground crackers
  pieces of any fruit or dried apricots
  cinnamon
  powdered sugar
  vanilla sugar
  melted butter

  Preparation:
  Knead the dough from cottage cheese, eggs, semolina and 1 tbsp. ground crackers. Form cakes with a diameter of 5 cm and 0.5 cm thick, place pieces of fresh fruit or dried apricots in the center of the cakes, sprinkle with cinnamon and close the cakes well, giving them the shape of balls with filling inside. Boil the dumplings in boiling salted water, sprinkle with toasted breadcrumbs, powdered sugar and vanilla sugar, and pour in melted butter.

  Christmas bath

  Ingredients:
  1 kg flour
  ¼ l milk
  80 g yeast
  200 g powdered sugar
  2 eggs
  250 g butter
  vanilla sugar
  zest of 1 lemon
  almond
  raisin
  salt

  Preparation:
  To prepare the Christmas Vanochka, knead the dough from milk, yeast and a small amount of sugar. Mix flour, powdered sugar, vanilla sugar, grated lemon zest, a pinch of salt, 1 egg and softened butter. Add the resulting mixture, chopped almonds and raisins (to taste) to the prepared dough, knead the dough and leave to rise for 3 hours. The dough must be kneaded twice and allowed to rise again. Weave braids from the risen dough, place on a greased baking sheet, brush with beaten egg, sprinkle with chopped almonds, pierce in several places with a wooden stick and let stand for another 15 minutes. Bake the pie for 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 175 degrees, then reduce the temperature to 150 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes. The readiness of the dough is determined by using a wooden stick: pierce the dough in the thickest area and if the stick remains dry, the pie is ready.

  The traditional dish at Christmas is fried carp. No Czech can imagine Christmas without fried carp with potato salad.

  All year round, carp are fattened in special ponds. In mid-December, water from the ponds is drained and multi-ton tanks with live fish are dispersed throughout the country.

  Exactly one week before Christmas Eve Large tubs of water are installed on the streets in which fat carp swim.

  Christmas feast full of old signs. For example, an even number of guests must be present at the table; in extreme cases, an empty plate with cutlery must be placed.

  A carp scale is placed under each plate for good luck, and sometimes a small coin is added to it. It happens that the scales are hidden in a wallet and carried with them all year.

  During festive dinner It is considered a bad omen to leave the table; the hostess should have everything at hand.

  Young people who want to get married next year should sit on a corner during a gala feast, and in order for a girl to get married, she needs to cut a piece of butter from a new briquette during a gala dinner, then she will receive a husband with a peaceful character.

  If during Christmas treat One of the guests suddenly had a ringing in their ear, which means that that person will be talked about well throughout the year. When you go to Christmas dinner with friends, you shouldn't come back for a forgotten walking stick or shoes, otherwise you will have to suffer misfortunes all year.

  December 24, before sitting down to the table, in Prague it is customary to go with the children to the bank of the Vltava, where sellers are already waiting for them. They also sell live carp, but not for the fish to be eaten. This is where the tradition of releasing the purchase into the river was born. Children especially enjoy this entertainment. Maybe that’s why the Czechs call Christmas Eve Generous Day.

  To stay healthy throughout the next year, on the morning of December 24, you need to wash yourself in a cold stream.

  On the same day, in Christmas Eve in the Czech Republic – Bear Christmas, Czechs traditionally feed bears with sweets. Bears live in the fortress moat in the city of Cesky Krumlov.

  And the next day, according to tradition, the goose is baked and various cookies are baked. Baking it becomes a whole ritual in which everyone at home takes part.

  There is a funny custom: on this day, careless men are kicked out of the house. Previously, they were actually kicked out of the house, but now they simply put a bundle next to the bed as a hint.

  27th of December, V John the Evangelist Day, in the Czech Republic, according to tradition, a ritual of wine purification takes place.

  Christmas Eve associated with numerous signs.

  The Czech Republic, by the way, is the only place where four heroes give Christmas surprises at once: Santa Claus, Mikulas, Jerzyshek and Father Frost.

  The Czech Republic protects even on Christmas nature. Fluffy fir trees, miniature pines and even royal firs are sold here exclusively in pots. Trees in decorated vessels are placed throughout Prague: in squares, at the entrances to hotels, shops, restaurants and near every entrance.

  Czech traditions They also demand that a Bethlehem manger or Bethlehem nativity scene be installed in every home, in every square and in every church.

  They look like fabulous bright puppet decorations for the main moment of Christmas - birth Jesus.

  In city squares you can see real pens with straw, live domestic animals and the obligatory lullaby in which lies little Jesus, or Jerzyšek in Czech. Children enjoy riding donkeys and ponies; according to legend, the Magi rode on them to worship the son of the Lord.

  In churches and temples there are toy nativity scenes where dolls move: angels sing and fly, peasants carry water, prepare food, wise men ride with sacrifices, and Mary rocks the cradle with Jesus. All this is accompanied by cheerful songs. Children find themselves as if in a fairy tale: nowhere else have the birth of Jesus been told as interestingly as in the Czech Republic.

  Czech is the only country in the world where Christmas You can not only eat, but also “listen to Fish”. In this case, Jakub Jan Ryba is the famous Czech composer, author of the Christmas mass.

  The Czech Christmas holidays are inextricably linked divination. On Christmas Eve, the owner put a glass under the table and poured some water into it; if the water decreased after dinner, it meant that the next year would be dry, and if there was more water, they believed that the year would be rainy.

  The harvest was predicted by the stars. If in Christmas Eve The sky was strewn with stars, this meant that the chickens would lay a lot of eggs and the harvest would be rich.

  Czech girl in Christmas Eve she ate an apple while standing on the threshold of her house, and if a man walked past the house first, it meant that she would get married in the New Year. In addition, the girl threw the shoe over her head towards the door: if the toe of the shoe pointed towards the door, then she would get married this year.

  Often fate was predicted from dreams in Christmas. For example, before going to bed, while lying in bed, a girl had to hold her hand over her head, as if she was sowing, and say: “I sow, I sow flax, come, my dear, here, before broad daylight.”

  In which direction the girl sowed, she had to turn in that direction. Whoever appears in a dream will become a husband.

  Skewers, superstitions and carp - Czech Christmas traditions

  What do they sing, eat, what do they decorate with, and where do they go for Christmas in the Czech Republic?

  At Christmas in the Czech Republic, carp is served on the table, its scales are hidden in wallets, girls throw their shoes, and generally strange things are done. However, during Advent, everything has a meaning. Find out how Christmas is celebrated in the Czech Republic.

  Carp for dinner, in the bath and in the wallet

  The traditional Christmas dish in the Czech Republic is carp with Olivier salad. Carp first appeared on the festive Christmas table in the 19th century. and has been an integral part of it ever since. Carp na modro, for example, is considered a traditional Czech specialty. During Advent, fish are sold in the center of every Czech city, so don’t be surprised if, while walking around, you see barrels of carp. They are mainly brought from areas specializing in fish farming, for example, from.

  During the preparations for Christmas, the carp is completely used, not even the scales remain. According to tradition, one or two scales should be placed to wallet, to during the whole year from its owner there was money. Although some families do not eat carp at Christmas, they certainly buy it. For a while this they have fish swimming in the bathtub, and then the whole family goes to the pond, where they release her back into the water.

  Before carp became a symbol of Czech Christmas, they prepared a dish called kuba. In recent years, this ancient Bohemian specialty of mushrooms, barley, garlic and marjoram has made a comeback on the Christmas table.

  Christmas spit

  An important place in Czech Christmas is also occupied by Christmas skewers. For example, in the city (Vysočina) There has been a tradition of making Christmas skewers for over 200 years. The local feature is Christmas Spit Museum, which open all year. During Christmas, their doors houses opens with all the families in Třešt making Christmas skewers.

  Unique is the Proboštov Christmas spit, which is located in the town of Třebechowice (). This is the only Christmas spit that has been announced. national cultural monument. It was created more than a century ago, consists of more than two thousand carved parts, and thanks to the mechanism it comes to life! Jan Proboscht began creating the spit at the end of the 19th century, vowing to create most the most beautiful nativity scene in the world, which even the emperor from Vienna will come to see. You can also see it in the Třebechowice Museum of Nativity Scenes.

  One of the symbols of Czech Christmas is also in the Church of Our Lady the Victorious, which is located in Prague. For significant dates and significant events, he is dressed in a royal dress with an ermine cloak, and the rest of the time he is dressed depending on the time of year. Moreover, by Christmas he will certainly receive a new dress. Pilgrims from all over the world, as well as famous people, come to visit the Infant Jesus of Prague every year. For example, for French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry he was the inspiration for writing The Little Prince, others asked him for fame and success. Famous Brazilian writer Paolo Coelho loves to remember the Infant Jesus of Prague. Visit him too, perhaps. for Christmas and it will inspire you to do something new.

  Czech Christmas Mass

  Christmas traditions also include midnight Mass, and Czech Christmas Mass by composer Jakub Jan Ryba. The church work tells about the Annunciation of the birth of Christ and the coming of the shepherds to the baby Jesus. It is adapted to the Czech environment and is therefore very popular in the Czech Republic.

  Midnight Mass will traditionally be celebrated, for example, in, located on the territory. You can listen to the Czech Christmas Mass, for example, in the Majestic Hall of Mirrors, where the National Library is also located.

  Prague Loreta

  After a long renovation, the famous one opened. The unique complex of buildings on Loreto Square, located near, is known for its melodic chimes, the chapel of the Virgin Mary, the Capuchin monastery and the holding of classical advent concerts.

  Other attractions will be open during Christmas. In the fortress every year on St. Stepan (December 26) there will be a live Christmas spit, homemade pork meat treats, and carols will be sung. A similar program is being prepared in the fortress.

  Don't think that when talking about Czech Christmas traditions, we have forgotten about the most important thing - Christmas tree decorations. In this regard, it is worth mentioning scansen. You will certainly be interested in the handmade production of Christmas tree decorations. During Advent, you will see folk traditions and the baking of fragrant Christmas buns (baths) in the Skansen in Zubrnice.

  Throwing shoes and golden pig

  The Czechs always wanted (like everyone else) to know their future. Fortune telling is especially popular at Christmas. Girls, for example, during Christmas throwing shoes. If a shoe falls on the ground and lands with its toe towards the door, then within a year the girl will get married, and if from the door, then the girl will remain at home for at least another year. At Christmas you need to kiss a woman under the mistletoe, which guarantees her love for the whole next year. However, mistletoe (and also love) cannot be bought, it must be obtained.

  The next Advent tradition should satisfy curiosity and answer questions about health. This doesn't mean you have to go to the doctor on Christmas. Immediately after Christmas dinner, cut an apple, and if the seeds inside form a five-pointed star, then everyone sitting at the table will be healthy, otherwise someone will get sick. Another tradition advises to put a candle in a walnut shell, and let such a boat float on the water, for example, in a washbasin. The owner of the boat that “moors” from the edge will go traveling around the world next year.

  And this Czech Christmas tradition is a little strange and not pleasant. According to this tradition, you should fast on Christmas Eve, and then you will see golden pig, which is considered a good omen. However, with delicious Christmas cookies on every corner, this is simply an impossible task.

  Surely many tourists in the Czech Republic are interested in the question: how do the Czechs themselves celebrate Christmas? What traditions do they observe at Christmas? What do they eat? What Christmas signs do you believe in? If you are interested, feel free to follow the link.

  Let me start with the fact that the main holiday for the Czechs, like almost all Europeans, is Christmas. New Year is also a holiday, but it is already in the background. The Christmas mood appears in Prague around the end of November - with the opening of Christmas markets on Old Town and Wenceslas Squares and the widespread decoration of store windows.

  When are Christmas and New Year celebrated in the Czech Republic?

  Typically, Czechs gather for a large family dinner on Christmas Eve - December 24th, known as “Generous day” (Štědrý den). Christmas weekend throughout the Czech Republic: December 25 and 26. In honor of the New Year, Czechs take a holiday on January 1st.

  Does Santa Claus come to the Czechs?

  There is no such character as Santa Claus in the Czech Republic. But there are somewhat similar characters. The first one is Saint Nicholas (Svatý Mikuláš), who comes to local children on December 5, accompanied by a devil and an angel. Children tell Mikulas how they behaved during the year and recite rhymes. If the child behaves well, he receives a small gift from the angel. If this year he was disobedient and often angry, then the devil is involved in the action, who can give the child a bag of coal and ash.

  According to legend, Saint Nicholas was a bishop in the city of Myra in Turkey. He is the patron of sailors and fishermen, the guardian of ferrymen, and the patron of children. He died on December 6, 350, which is why to this day Mikulas is celebrated on the evening of December 5 - the eve of the date of his death.

  Photo from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/

  In addition to Mikulas, he comes to the children baby Christ (Ježíšek)- none of the children saw him, but the children are told that he goes around all the houses on the evening of December 24 and puts gifts under the Christmas tree.

  What do Czechs eat for Christmas?

  The traditional dish is fried carp with potato salad (smažený kapr s bramborovým salátem) And soup with fish (rybí polevka). Many people prepare different baked goods like butter cookies (vánoční cukroví). Also very popular braided roll with raisins - vánočka. Before Christmas, all these baked goods can be easily found in stores.

  This is what a delicious Christmas bake looks like.

  

  What traditions exist?

  • Purchase advent calendar for children. Every day, starting from December 1, one window opens in the calendar, and the child receives candy or cookies from this window. This is what the calendar looks like with the window open and sweets inside.

  

  • Purchase Advent candlestick with 4 candles (Adventní věnec). 4 candles symbolize 4 weeks until Christmas. As a rule, a candlestick is placed on the window and every week before Christmas on Sundays one candle is lit in it. Thus, all four candles are lit for Christmas.

  

  • Christmas tree decoration. On the central streets, Christmas trees appear already in early December, but in houses it is customary to decorate the Christmas tree on December 24th. Some people put it under the Christmas tree nativity scene (betlémek). The nativity scene depicts the birth of Christ. Most nativity scenes are made from wood, but paper nativity scenes and hand-painted nativity scenes are also available. The first nativity scene appeared in the Czech Republic in 1560 in the Church of St. Clement in Prague.

  This is what the straw nativity scene installed at Prague Castle looks like.

  

  And here a wooden nativity scene is already depicted.

  

  • Sale of carp. Carp in the Czech Republic begin to be sold everywhere (on the streets, in stores) a few days before the “Generous Day”. Czechs have a tradition of buying carp on the 23rd, letting it swim overnight in the bathtub at home, and then preparing it for the holiday table on December 24th. True, there is now a tendency to release carp back into the river, because... Czechs are afraid that they will reduce carp to a minimum in the rivers :) They sell carp in such large vats.

  

  • Of course, let's not forget about Christmas markets, who have been working hard in the Czech Republic since the end of November.

  

  • Gift exchange takes place on December 24 after dinner. In the case of children, after dinner they are sent to bed, and in the meantime, gifts for them appear under the Christmas tree.
  • It is not customary to sit down to the festive dinner on December 24 until the first star appears in the sky.
  • There must be one extra plate with cutlery on the table - for unexpected guests.
  • After dinner they often sing carols. In addition to Christmas, they are sung at Easter.

  Bad omens for Christmas:

  • Sew and knit before Christmas
  • Wash before Christmas
  • Write love letters
  • Leaving the table during a festive dinner. According to legend, whoever leaves the table will die next year.

  Good omens for Christmas:

  • A kiss under the mistletoe, another symbol of Christmas on December 24, will bring happiness in the coming year.
  • Some Czechs fast on December 24 in the morning in order to see the “golden pig” in the evening, which will bring monetary wealth for the next year.
  • If you put carp scales under a plate at the holiday table, then happiness will await you next year.
  • Bread baked on December 25th and eggs laid on December 25th.
  • Before Christmas, all borrowed and foreign things in the house must be removed from the house to their owners.

  Christmas fortune telling

  Like other Slavic peoples, Czechs love to tell fortunes - and when to do this, if not at Christmas? Below I will tell you about the most popular fortune telling:

  • Throwing shoes. On December 24, girls throw shoes over their heads. If the shoe lands with its toe towards the door, then next year she will get married. If not, you will stay at home this year.
  • Fortune telling on an apple. After dinner, cut the apple crosswise into two parts. If, after cutting, there is an asterisk with five or more tips inside, then next year everyone present will be healthy. If the star has 4 tips or less, then someone present will get sick or die.

  What gifts do Czechs give each other?

  According to a survey, this year almost half of Czechs will give each other money or gift certificates. At the same time, ¾ of Czechs expect the cost of the gift to be no more than 5,000 CZK. However, from personal observations, I think that on average locals expect the cost of a gift to be about 1000 CZK.

  I hope that thanks to this post, you have learned a lot about Christmas in the Czech Republic, its symbols and traditions.