Have you ever seen a carp swimming in a big tub on a street corner, been offered at least 15 different wonderfully decorated cookies from a single tray, or poured hot lead into a bucket of water? If you answered yes to any of these three questions, chances are that you have experienced Czech Christmas. If you did not, never fear, this article will give you a sneak peak into how Czechs celebrate Christmas.
1. Myriads of cookies
At the beginning of advent, Czech women begin to dedicate their “free” evenings to baking and decorating Christmas cookies. They make a ton of them. Each family has their favorite recipes, so every household produces a different selection of little goodies, which they then exchange with friends and relatives. If you’re looking for ways to spend your winter evenings, try out these fun Christmas cookie recipes!
This baking project takes weeks because each type of cookie requires a specific resting time, so you can’t just start the weekend before Christmas, especially if you have your heart set on a particular kind.
2. Svařák in the Christmas market
Czechs are obsessed with Christmas markets, which emerge on town squares in late November/early December. Cute wooden stalls with traditional products such as: glass ornaments, wool socks, candles, cookies, hot meals and – most especially – svařák (mulled wine) and punch. People stop by on their way from work or a busy shopping trip or schedule meet-ups with friends to enjoy a few cups of something warm – even when the temperature drops below zero.
If you have a sweet tooth, try hot medovina (mead). I highly recommend visiting a market outside Prague. Not only will you be surprised at much lower prices but you will also enjoy a romantic winter atmosphere in peace, away from the crowds of tourists. Take a train to Olomouc, Brno or anywhere else outside the capital – you won’t regret it. Some markets also have live petting zoos and carved nativity scenes.
3. Mikuláš
During the early evening of December 5th, you are likely to run into groups of 3 people in costumes. St. Nicholas, the devil, and an angel go from house to house and visit children. The good children receive sweets and chocolate figurines, the naughty ones get coal or old potatoes. Little children, who are often slightly afraid of the scary looking devil, will have a chance to impress St. Nicholas with a poem or a song. It all ends well because St. Nicholas and the angel always persuade the devil to put away his rattling chain and forgive even the naughtiest child – if they promise to be better next year!
4. Advent calendar
A traditional gift children often receive on the evening before St. Nicholas Day is an advent calendar with 24 windows. They are allowed to open one window every day and find a little chocolate inside. It has been my impression that advent calendars are becoming popular in the US as well, because every year I am happy to find several in local supermarkets. However, there are countless ways to make a DYI advent calendar if you don’t like the one from the store. Last year I made one out of new Christmas socks, which I filled with small cars instead of chocolate for my 2-year-old son.
5. Nativity scenes
Czech Christmas lasts from Dec 24th to Dec 26th. During this time people perform various Christmas traditions such as: visiting relatives and friends, or going to Christmas concerts and mass. Every church will also have one or more nativity scenes displayed.
I am especially proud of the extensive mechanical carved wooden nativity scene in my hometown, Mohelnice. I could stand in front of it for hours, listening to the Christmas carols and watching the tiny carved figurines greet baby Jesus in the manger, the sheep grazing in the meadow, or the spinning wheel of an old-fashioned water mill. The nativity scene also includes replicas of actual buildings (churches and castles) from our region. Furthermore, it is a continual work in progress. Every year I look forward to spotting a new addition.
If you are in the area, I highly recommend visiting Pradědova galerie in Jiříkov to see the art of wood carver Jiří Halouzka who holds 4 world and 25 Czech records listed in the Guinness Book of World of Records. For less than 4 US dollars you can admire hundreds of amazing carved figurines and statues. This family museum is worth every minute.
6. Become a princess for the evening
Families with children and history fans alike should remember to book a special Christmas tour in their local castle or chateau. One of my favorites, the Bouzov castle, offers a candle-lit evening tour that is something simply out of a fairly tale. The costumed guides will tell you how the holidays were celebrated centuries ago and on some tours you might get a treat in the form of a live musical piece or hot punch (Náměšť na Hané Chateau).
7. The golden pig and other superstitions
The most important day for Czechs is Dec 24th, also called Štědrý den (Generous Day). Rumor has it that if you manage to fast until dinner, you will see a golden pig. Parents will generally make “the pig” appear on the wall with the reflection of a small mirror or their watch.
The lunch menu varies throughout the regions – for instance, my family eats cabbage soup. Generally, it is a small, simple meal.
8. Cut apples and throw shoes
During the day people do a lot of different traditions such as cutting apples in halves to see the star in the middle representing good health or pouring hot lead into water to see the future – though this is often adapted by pouring hot wax instead. Kids enjoy making little boats of out walnut shells whereon they place a small candle. After lighting the candle you and the rest of your family place your boats in a big bowl and watch them float around. Are all the boats sticking together? This means that your family will stay together for the next year.
Unmarried girls throw their shoe over their shoulder to find out if they will get married during the next year. If the tip of the shoe points towards the door, they will be wed; if the heel points to the door, they will have to try their luck the year after.
9. Carp in the bathtub
The most festive meal of this holiday is dinner on Dec 24th. Traditionally people eat fish soup, fried carp, and potato salad. Some regions prefer sausage or schnitzel. The lady of the house might put couple carp scales under everyone’s plate, so that nobody is short of money in the coming year.
When I was little, people would buy a live carp and keep it in their bathtub until Christmas. We had it in an old plastic baby bathtub on the balcony and would play with it until it was time to say goodbye. As I got older I started to understand the connection between our scaly pet and Christmas dinner and refused to continue with this custom.
10. Dress up
Christmas dinner is an occasion to wear our best attire, often brand new. This is the only day when my family kicks off their slippers and wears heels and nice shoes. Christmas pictures of families in matching pajamas on Instagram are a recent trend that came from America and seems odd to the pre-millennial generations.
11. When is baby Jesus coming?
After dinner, Czech children impatiently await the arrival of baby Jesus. As soon as they hear a bell ring, they run to the living room to discover a lit up Christmas tree with presents underneath.
What a pity that baby Jesus always flies away at the last second so nobody really knows how he looks like. If you live in a block of flats, you can hear children from different families on the balcony calling: “Thank you, baby Jesus!” to the dark and snowy night.
Before tearing off all the pretty Christmas wrapping paper, my family sings carols and in the old days they used to have to listen to me playing the flute, which was hardly a treat – I have video footage to prove it.
12. Pohádky
As much as Americans love their Christmas Hallmark movies, Czechs love their pohádky, or live action fairly tales that will fill up the entire TV holiday schedule from Dec 24th to January 1st, from early morning to late evening. Pohádky have a great tradition in Czech culture, it is one of the few genres that survived even communism without becoming too politicalized.
On Christmas Eve Czech public broadcaster, Česká televize, shows the brand new pohádka– which is a huge deal. The next day, there will be a review in the newspaper and you will hear people everywhere discussing it, because children and adults alike enjoy pohádky.
One of the most iconic ones, Tři oříšky pro Popelku (Three Wishes for Cinderella) was released in 1973 continues to enter a large portion of Czech living rooms every year. Many say it’s not Christmas without Popelka. Being a teacher of Czech for foreigners I have discovered that students from far away countries such as Argentina know this Czech Christmas classic.
As much as I enjoy Popelka, I will never spend the holidays without watching S čerty nejsou žerty (Give the Devil His Due), Anděl Páně (An Angel of the Lord) and O princezně Jasněnce a létajícím ševci (Princess Jasněnka and the Flying Shoemaker).
I would love to tell you much more about how the Czech Republic celebrates Christmas, but unfortunately I need to re-start my baking project. While I was at the supermarket, my husband and son polished off the first batch of my cookies - and I thought they were still full of turkey and pecan pie. Silly me.