Category / Holidays

The Mechanical Christmas Crib of Třebechovice

The Mechanical Christmas Crib of Třebechovice is a wooden nativity scene by Josef Probošt, Josef Kapucián and Josef Friml. It is made up of over 2000 carved parts and figures and took over forty years to complete. In 1999 the mechanical nativity scene was declared a national cultural monument. The crib itself is over a...

CULTURE, Holidays

December 17, 2016

Czech Christmas Traditions: Mistletoe

Just like here in the United States, mistletoe is a big part of the Czech Christmas traditions. Here mistletoe (called jmelí in Czech) is most known for its infamous reputation as a place where you kiss your loved one when they are caught standing underneath it. Except in the Czech Republic, it is not used so...

CULTURE, Holidays

December 15, 2016

Strange Czech Christmas Traditions

We Czechs (Bohemians, Moravians and Slovaks) have several passed-down and traditional Christmas superstitions and some are just as well known in other parts of the world as they are in the Czech Republic. Czech people believe that certain foods and herbs can serve to tell the future and predict the year ahead. Around Christmas time, these specific predicting activities have been celebrated by...

CULTURE, Holidays

December 14, 2016

Flashback to Christmas In Prague

Flashback to 1937, 1964, and 1965 and what Christmas time looked like in Prague. We begin our glimpse into the past with Christmas trees. Fortunately, the narrator explains in this short video that shows the tree chosen for Old Towne Square. Well, this year it didn’t snow, but it looked foggy and chilly nonetheless. And...

CULTURE, Holidays

December 12, 2016

DIY Lucky Czech Walnut Shell Candles

Czech walnut shell candles are known all over in the Czech Republic as a typical Christmas tradition and decoration. Known for attracting good energy, luck, and fortune, Czechs believe that they can even tell your future! Near Christmas time, Czechs will make these sweet little candles out of hollow walnut halves and on Christmas eve,...

CULTURE, Holidays

christmas-market-old-town-square-tres-bohemes

December 9, 2016

The Christmas Market at Old Town Square

One of the best things about visiting Prague in the Winter are The Christmas Markets. Christmas Markets are set up throughout the city every year in late November and usually remain open till Early January. The largest Christmas Market in Prague is held in the historic Old Town Square, home to the famous Prague astronomical clock,...

CULTURE, Holidays

December 8, 2016

Vintage Czech Crystal & Rhinestone Christmas Trees

For many centuries, the foundries of former Czechoslovakia had been renowned for their impressive Czech crystal, glass and jewelry making craftsmanship. Before WWII, numerous factories all over the country made bižuterii a šperky – costume and real jewelry – which was admired the world over. Sadly, many of these factories closed during the war and never reopened....

CULTURE, Holidays

December 6, 2016

The Wallachian St. Nicholas Market

The Wallachian St. Nicholas Market (Czech: Valašské Mikuláš jarmek) is an annual cultural event which takes place in the Czech town of Valašské Klobouky (English: Wallachian Hats) every winter. The first Wallachian St. Nicholas Market took place in 1992 as an attempt to revive the tradition of St. Nicholas and to restore traditional festive markets...

CULTURE, Holidays

the-tradition-of-svaty-mikulas-tres-bohemes-3

December 5, 2016

The Tradition of Svatý Mikuláš

In the Czech Republic, the Mikuláš tradition is almost as big of a deal as Christmas, which is celebrated on December 24th in the Czech Republic. The famous Czech Advent tradition, which is called Svatý Mikuláš in Czech, takes place on the eve of his name day (Czech: svátek) on December 6th. The pre-Christmas celebration...

CULTURE, Holidays

November 2, 2016

All Soul’s Day in the Czech Republic

November 2nd is All Souls’ Day in the Czech Republic. Czechs call this day dušičky (“little souls”) but the official Czech name is Památka zesnulých (“a remembrance of those who have passed”). While some folks compare this to Halloween (All Hallow’s Eve), the two really have little in common. Halloween activities include trick-or-treating (or the related guising),...

CULTURE, Holidays

September 28, 2016

St. Wenceslas Day

Today is September 28th, better known as St. Wenceslas Day. It is a National Holiday in the Czech Republic. This holiday is always celebrated on the 28th of September and, is also known as ‘Czech Statehood Day’. It has been a public holiday since 2000. It is the feast day of St. Wenceslas, the patron...

Holidays, LIFESTYLE

May 8, 2016

Mother’s Day 1948 in the Czech Republic

To honor the Mother’s today, I am sharing some photographs of Mother’s Day in 1948 in the former Czechoslovakia. In the Czech Republic, Mother’s Day is celebrated every second Sunday in May. It started in 1923. Traditionally, children make handmade gifts or write poems for their mothers. The roots can be traced all the way back to when people celebrated...

Holidays

March 29, 2016

Scary Austrian Parade Krampus

Even though we are not at all close to Christmas, this creepy Austrian tradition is just too interesting not to share. I recently found out about a medieval tradition Austrians have on the 6th of December (Saint Nicolas) to keep children good before Christmas. They arrange a parade where Krampus, known as Saint Nicholas’s evil...

CULTURE, Holidays

March 25, 2016

Medieval Easter in the Czech Republic

Somewhere in Bohemia, people gather to celebrate a Medieval Easter and today via the internet, we’ll be joining them at the Křivoklát Castle which is located in the Central Bohemia Region of the Czech Republic. Křivoklát was founded in the 12th century, belonging to the kings of Bohemia. During the reign of Přemysl Otakar II a large,...

Holidays

March 25, 2016

Czech Easter Lamb Recipe

There are a couple of rules when making an Easter Lamb or or Velikonoční Beránek as it is called in Czech. The most important is to use a dense cake batter. We recommend a pound cake or dough for bábovka. Rule number two is to make sure to butter and then either flour or bread crumb the...

Food, Holidays, LIFESTYLE, Recipes

March 24, 2016

Easter in Old Town Square

During the cold days of December, just before Christmas, a huge Christmas tree with millions of lights and street stands with vendors cooking up warm cider are set up in Old Town Square in the heart of Prague. In March something similar happens. Huge Easter egg statues are brought out and placed in all the parks and street stands...

CULTURE, Holidays

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