Czech Christmas dinner (December 24) is connected with a great number of different customs, rules and superstitions. Very few of them are still observed today. Here are two of them:
The table should be set for an even number of guests. An odd number brings bad luck or death.
No one should ever get up from the Christmas table before dinner is finished. Doing so brings bad luck and death in the family
Christmas Eve is associated with many superstitions that usually relate to love and destiny that awaits one in the year to come. The foretelling of the future is connected with many popular Christmas customs some of which are still practiced today.
They include:
- The Floating of Walnut Shells
- The Cutting of the Apple
- The Pouring of Lead
There are lots of Christmas customs that help young girls in the family find out if they will get married in the year to come. Here are three of them:
Cherry Tree Twigs (Barborky)
The Throwing of the Shoe
The Shaking of the Elder Tree
Monday, December 12, 2011
Czech Christmas Carp
The traditional Czech festive dinner on Christmas Eve is FRIED CARP with potato salad. A few days before Christmas, on 23rd at the latest, people buy a fresh carp – either live (then they have it usually in the bath in the bathroom for a day or two), or when they buy it, they ask the fisherman to kill it. There are funny stories about “brave” husbands, who were supposed to kill the carp at home, but they couldn’t and then the fragile wife had to do it. Or the carp was taken back to the river or pond and the family had only potato salad for dinner
After you have killed the carp, removed the skin (don’t forget to put aside a few scales to put them later under the plate of the Christmas Eve Dinner and then into your purse - it will bring you good luck in the financial sphere for the next year ) and carve it. Then you salt each piece and coat it in fine flour, whipped eggs and breadcrumbs. After that you fry it till it is soft.
When all the portions of carp are coated, heat some oil in the frying pan and start frying the carp. It is well-done, when it is soft and beautifully gold.
Fried carp is usually served with potato salad. Each family has their own recipe for the potato salad and their salad is always the best. Besides potatoes (boiled in skin) you put chopped cooked carrots and celeriac, pickles and onion. You can add hard-boiled eggs and salami. You can use oil, mayonnaise or yoghurt. Don’t forget to flavour it with pepper and mustard. Enjoy your meal now – but don’t forget that carp has tiny bones!!!¨
After you have killed the carp, removed the skin (don’t forget to put aside a few scales to put them later under the plate of the Christmas Eve Dinner and then into your purse - it will bring you good luck in the financial sphere for the next year ) and carve it. Then you salt each piece and coat it in fine flour, whipped eggs and breadcrumbs. After that you fry it till it is soft.
When all the portions of carp are coated, heat some oil in the frying pan and start frying the carp. It is well-done, when it is soft and beautifully gold.
Fried carp is usually served with potato salad. Each family has their own recipe for the potato salad and their salad is always the best. Besides potatoes (boiled in skin) you put chopped cooked carrots and celeriac, pickles and onion. You can add hard-boiled eggs and salami. You can use oil, mayonnaise or yoghurt. Don’t forget to flavour it with pepper and mustard. Enjoy your meal now – but don’t forget that carp has tiny bones!!!¨
Three Christmas Days
The main three Christmas days are
a) 24th December called in Czech called Štědrý Den which could be translated as „Generous Day“
b) 25th December in Czech called „Boží Hod“ which could be translated as „God's Feast“
c) 26th December in Czech called „Na Štěpána“ which could be translated as „On St Stephen's Day“.
24th December - "Generous Day„ - has probably its name bacause of the wealth of food that has traditionally been served for Christmas dinner. In the morning the Christmas tree is decorated with traditional Czech Christmas ornaments and preparations are made for the most festive evening meal of the year (fried carp and potato salad).
According to one Czech Christmas custom, one is supposed to fast all day to see the "golden piglet".
After dinner, everyone around the table may sing Christmas carols before moving to the Christmas tree, which is all lit up and beautiful. By then, presents have been placed under the tree. Czech children believe that Christmas gifts are brought by Baby Jesus. Of course, it's the parents who manage to put the presents under the tree without being seen by the kids. Sometimes it is an achievement!
Some people end „Štědrý Den“ (24th December) by attending the midnight mass (půlnoční mše) at a local church. The celebration and feasting continue on both 25th and 26th December – people give festive lunches and often invite their relatives or friends for the meal or pay each other visits in the afternoon.
a) 24th December called in Czech called Štědrý Den which could be translated as „Generous Day“
b) 25th December in Czech called „Boží Hod“ which could be translated as „God's Feast“
c) 26th December in Czech called „Na Štěpána“ which could be translated as „On St Stephen's Day“.
24th December - "Generous Day„ - has probably its name bacause of the wealth of food that has traditionally been served for Christmas dinner. In the morning the Christmas tree is decorated with traditional Czech Christmas ornaments and preparations are made for the most festive evening meal of the year (fried carp and potato salad).
According to one Czech Christmas custom, one is supposed to fast all day to see the "golden piglet".
After dinner, everyone around the table may sing Christmas carols before moving to the Christmas tree, which is all lit up and beautiful. By then, presents have been placed under the tree. Czech children believe that Christmas gifts are brought by Baby Jesus. Of course, it's the parents who manage to put the presents under the tree without being seen by the kids. Sometimes it is an achievement!
Some people end „Štědrý Den“ (24th December) by attending the midnight mass (půlnoční mše) at a local church. The celebration and feasting continue on both 25th and 26th December – people give festive lunches and often invite their relatives or friends for the meal or pay each other visits in the afternoon.
Pre-Christmas Preparations in CR 2
About a week before Christmas all preparations are culminating and it is time
a) to get a Christmas tree (people usually buy a spruce or pine tree at a special Xmas tree market) and
b) to buy a carp (you can buy it live in a special out-door stand and have it for a day or two in water in the bathtub in the bathroom or you can ask the seller to kill the carp for you).
a) to get a Christmas tree (people usually buy a spruce or pine tree at a special Xmas tree market) and
b) to buy a carp (you can buy it live in a special out-door stand and have it for a day or two in water in the bathtub in the bathroom or you can ask the seller to kill the carp for you).
St.Nicolas´s Day
In the Czech Republic it is not Santa Claus who brings presents at Christmas, but Ježíšek (Baby Jesus / Little Jesus). However, on St Nicolas Eve (4th December) in the evening Mikuláš (Nicolas) accompanied by angels and devils visits small children’s homes and brings them small presents, usually sweets, nuts and fruit (especially tangerines are quite popular). If the child has been naughty, they get just raw potatoes and black coal. Or even worse – they can be caught by the devils, put into a big bag and carries away, into the hell.
Every year on this night, the streets are filled with devils rattling chains, St. Nicholases with white cotton beards, long white robes and bishop's staves, and white angels with paper wings, coming to see small children to give them a scare before giving them sweets.
The tradition in our school is that on 4th December, some time in the morning the oldest students of our school (aged 18) are dressed up as St. Nicolas, the angels and the devils and they visit the other classes in their classrooms. They are usually very noisy and they make the other students dirty with coal and red lipsticks. They ask the students to sing a song or say a poem and then they give them a treat.
Every year on this night, the streets are filled with devils rattling chains, St. Nicholases with white cotton beards, long white robes and bishop's staves, and white angels with paper wings, coming to see small children to give them a scare before giving them sweets.
The tradition in our school is that on 4th December, some time in the morning the oldest students of our school (aged 18) are dressed up as St. Nicolas, the angels and the devils and they visit the other classes in their classrooms. They are usually very noisy and they make the other students dirty with coal and red lipsticks. They ask the students to sing a song or say a poem and then they give them a treat.
Pre-Christmas Preparations in CR 1
Christmas is very popular in the Czech Republic. For many people and especially children it is their favourite holiday. As soon as in October the first Christmas shopping windows appear to attract the shoppers.
However, the real Christmas preparations and shopping usually start in the end of November, at about the beginning of Advent.
Before the first Advent Sunday ( four weeks before Christmas) people buy or make the Advent wreath.
On Sunday the whole family usually gets together – often at the midday meal – and they light the first candle.
Very often there is a charity concert in church and in the evening on the Czech TV there is the first (of four) charity programme.
Since about mid November, especially mums are very busy doing all the cleaning in the house and baking special Christmas cookies. They usually bake nine or even more different kinds of them – often following old family recipes. The traditional Xmas cookies include „little vanilla rolls“ or richly decorated „gingerbread cookies“.
When the house or flat is all cleaned, it is time to decorate it. We hang garlands and other decorations on the doors, hang Christmas lights in the windows and put branches of mistletoe and green spruce or fir branches in vases which brings nice forest smell in our homes.
A new tradition is that on the 1st December small children often get an Advent calendar. Most parents just buy a simple calendar made of paper where behind each of the 24 pictures there is a small window with a tiny candy or chocolate. In some magazines or on the Internet you can find instructions how to make your own Advent calendar e.g from wood or fabric.
However, the real Christmas preparations and shopping usually start in the end of November, at about the beginning of Advent.
Before the first Advent Sunday ( four weeks before Christmas) people buy or make the Advent wreath.
On Sunday the whole family usually gets together – often at the midday meal – and they light the first candle.
Very often there is a charity concert in church and in the evening on the Czech TV there is the first (of four) charity programme.
Since about mid November, especially mums are very busy doing all the cleaning in the house and baking special Christmas cookies. They usually bake nine or even more different kinds of them – often following old family recipes. The traditional Xmas cookies include „little vanilla rolls“ or richly decorated „gingerbread cookies“.
When the house or flat is all cleaned, it is time to decorate it. We hang garlands and other decorations on the doors, hang Christmas lights in the windows and put branches of mistletoe and green spruce or fir branches in vases which brings nice forest smell in our homes.
A new tradition is that on the 1st December small children often get an Advent calendar. Most parents just buy a simple calendar made of paper where behind each of the 24 pictures there is a small window with a tiny candy or chocolate. In some magazines or on the Internet you can find instructions how to make your own Advent calendar e.g from wood or fabric.
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