Czech Christmas traditions

Our traditions

Each family celebrate Christmas differently.

There are a few traditional activities which we do:

Christmas is the most popular holiday in the Czech Republic.

Time before Christmas

1.ADVENT

It starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Eve when we light the first candle.

Each week on Sunday we light the next candle. It is time people spend at home, listening to Christmas carrols and preparing for Christmas but also shopping.

At first we buy or make an Advent wreath with four candles.

The Sundays have own names:Iron Sunday, Bronze Sunday, Silver Sunday, Golden Sunday

Time before Christmas

2.SAINT NICHOLAS`S DAY

Girls and boys have to sing or say a poem to them.

St. Nicholas gives sweets and fruits to children who were kind during the whole year and fornaughty children he has only coal and potatoes.

Saint Nicholas, angels and devils visit Czech families on 6th December.

Time before Christmas

3.SWEETS

We bake Christmas sweets (a lot of kinds!) and a Christmas cake (called vánočka).

Time before Christmas

4.TREE

We began the tradition of decorating a Christmas tree in 1812.

Somebody have a natural tree but some people have an artificial tree.

We buy a Christmas tree and decorate it by colourful and beautiful ornaments. We also decorate our flats and houses. A lot of families have wooden or paper Nativity scenes in their living

rooms.

Traditions

5.GOLDEN PIGGY

If you want to see the golden piggy in the evening, youmust fast for the whole day.

6.HALVING AN APPLE

Each member of family halve an apple which will show ourheatlh in the following year. A star means good health, a

cross the opposite.

CrossshapeIt isn‘t good! Star shape

You can stay calm.

Traditions

7.THROWING A SHOE

This activity is done by single girls who want to know ifthey get married next year. If their shoe points to the

door, they will find a husband.

8.FLOATING NUTSHELLS

Candles are put into the halves of nutshells and they are made to float in a basin. If yours gets far from the others,

you will move away from your family.

Single!

Married!

Christmas Eve

Everybody looks forward to Christmas Eve, the main celebration.

Our Christmas dinner consists of fish soup (made of carp), and fried carp with potato salad.

During dinner we listen to Christmas carrols and we are in a good moood.

After dinner rings a bell rings and we run to the tree.

Under the tree there there are many presents which are brought by Baby Jesus!

We put a fish scale under our plates and We keep them in our purses and wallets to have more money in the following year.

Halving an apple

Christmas sweets

Resources

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