Have you ever experienced a typical Czech Christmas time? Part II.
Would you like to discover the magic of
typical Czech Christmas? Czech Christmas is connected with a lot of traditions, customs and superstitions that people have already shared for many centuries. I can recommend you warmly to learn it right with us in the Czech Republic, especially in our capital -
Prague.
One of the first traditions in the December is cutting of cherry twigs. On the 4th December,
St. Barbara’s Day, all unmarried girls are supposed to cut a cherry tree twig and put it in the water. If the twig blooms by Christmas Eve, the girl will marry within a year.
The second important day in the Christmas time is the 5th December,
St. Nicholas Eve. It doesn’t matter if you walk through small or big town, you will come across St. Nicholas, Angel and Devils everywhere. This day belongs above all to the children. When they are nice all year round, they get small presents from St. Nicholas. If it is to the contrary the Devil wants to take them to the hell. If you would like to enjoy St. Nicholas Eve as much as possible, my advice is to spend it with a cup of hot wine in your hands in the Old Town Square in Prague. You can admire a large number of unique beautiful Nicholas’ and Angels and sometimes very ghostly masks of Devils.
Next days are in token of preparation for the main part of Christmas time. In the Czech Republic, the most important day is the
24th December, the Christmas Eve. A lot of
superstitions are connected with it. Throughout the day it is customary to fast. Those who make it to the evening will see a
golden piggie, a bearer of good fortune. In the evening, the
typical Czech Christmas dinner is served – the potato salad with fried carp. There should be one plate more if unexpected guest come. Everybody has fish-scale under his plate. One superstition says that the
fish-scale under your plate brings you a lot of money in the following year. When the dinner is over, all people round the table must rise from the table at the same time. If somebody rises earlier, something bad could happen to him.
There are
many superstition and customs we do after the dinner. Many of them should foretell the future. The
floating of walnut shels belongs to the most favourite. Little boats are made out of empty walnut shells and each family member places a little burning candle into a shell. Everyone's shells are then floated on a bowl of water. If the shell makes it across the bowl, its owner will live a long and healthy life. A shell that sinks brings bad luck to its owner. The
cutting of an apple is also very popular. After the Christmas dinner, every person present at the table cuts an apple in half. Both halves are shown to everyone around the table. If the core is shaped as a star, it means that everyone will get together next year in happiness and health. A four-pointed cross is something bad and means that someone at the table will fall ill or die within a year. My last superstition I would like to introduce you is the
throwing of the shoe. An unmarried girl is supposed to throw a shoe over her shoulder and towards the door. If the shoe lands with the toe pointing towards the door, the girl will marry within a year. These and more Czech tradition are presented in the Wenceslas and
Old Town Square Prague in Prague and create the unique atmosphere of Czech Christmas.
In case you won’t be able to spend the coming Christmas in Prague I have another tip for you. What about to enjoy Prague’s winter atmosphere walking through the romantic streets of the Old Town? You can take advantage of discounted offers at the best
Prague hotels from January till March.
See you in Prague!
Yours Veronika Traveliana
Useful Links
Czech Christmas
Prague
St. Barbara’s Day
St. Nicholas Eve
Czech Christmas Eve
Czech Christmas dinner
Old Town Square Prague
Prague hotels
