1. Holidays and Celebrations in the Czech Republic

Spring

• Easter - Not fixed date, ending of March - first half of April

• Willow canes - "korbáče"
• Whipping - "mrskání"

• Mother’s Day - First sunday of May

• Celebration honoring the mother of the family.

• Labours Day - 8th May

• We commemorate the end of the 2nd World War in Europe in 1946.

Summer

• St. Cyril and Methodius Day - 5th July

• It is an anniversary of the arrival of Cyril and Methodius to Great Moravia in 863.

• Jan Hus Day - 6th July

• Celebrated to commemorate a religion reformer Jan Hus who was burned at the stake i Kostnice in 1415.

Autumn

• St. Wenceslas Day - 28th September

• Wenceslas, patron of the Czech statem was Premyslid duke of Bohemia, on September 28th 935 was murdered by his younger brother Boleslav I.

• Independent Czechoslovak State Day - 28th October

• This day the Czechoslovak state declared independence at the end of the First World War, in 1918.

• Day of the Fight for Freedom and Democracy - 17th November

• First in 1939 when we were occupied by Germany as the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, Czech students demonstrated against Nazi regime.
• Then in 1989, the Velvet Revolution started also as a student demonstration against communist party.

Winter

• Christmas Eve Day - 24th December

• Described in the detail section

• 1st Christmas Holiday - 25th December

• 2st Christmas Holiday (Christmas Feast and St. Stephen's Day) - 26th December

• On St. Stephen's Day, children, students, teachers, and the poor used to go around people's homes singing Christmas carols. Nowadays, families stay at home and relax or visit relatives and friends to share the special time.

• New Year Day, Restoration of Czech Independence Day - 1st January

• Celebrating the beginning of a new year.
• We also celebrate the establishment of the independent Czech Republic. It happened in 1993 when Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia

• Valentine’s Day - 14th February

• 14., on Valentine’s Day, boys and girls send each other anonymous greeting cards called valentines.

Detail - Christmas

Date/Seasons of the year

• Christmas was originally a christian holiday. It was associated with the birth of Jesus Christ.

Customs/Traditions

• We celebrate Christmas in winter, exactly from the 24th of December to 26th of December.
• At the present Christmas is mainly connected with giving presents. The 24th of December some people don’t eat all day and hope to see a gold pig in the evening. We have Christmas dinner and then we go to the christmas tree where are presents.
• Some families maintain traditions like cutting an apple, dropping boats, lead pouring, kisses under mistletoe or singing christmas carols.
• At the midnight we can visit midnight mass.

Symbols

• Symbols of Christmas are for example christmas tree, bethlehem, baby jesus, presents, apples etc.

Meals

• At Christmas Eve dinner we eat pea soup and carp with potato salad. People also bake christmas cake.