National holidays in the Czech Republic – maturitní otázka

 

  Otázka: National holidays in the Czech Republic

  Jazyk: Angličtina

  Přidal(a): Giraffe

 

 

New Year´sDay

• 1^st of January
• it is the date of foundation of the Czech Republic (1.1.1993)

 

Easter

• Christian Easterlastsforoneweek, calledHolyWeek. Itends on EasterSunday, the most importantdayoftheweek, because on thatdayJesusreturned to life.
• Mondayisthe most importantdayhere in the Czech Republic.
• Easter Monday all men and boys go from house to house and whip the women with a stick made of woven willows. The women in return give them decorated eggs or ribbons.

 

LabourDay

• 1^stofMay
• holiday of working people

 

LiberationDay

• 8^thofMay
• the day of the liberation of Czechoslovakia from the Nazis
• the end of WWII in Europe

 

Saints Cyril and Methodius Day

• 5^thof July
• In 863, Churchteachers St.Cyril (Constantine) and Metoděj (Methodius) camefromthe Balkans to Great Moravia to propagate Christian faith and literacy.

 

Jan Hus Day

• 6^thof July
• Jan Hus – a Catholic preacher of the commons was burned to death at the stake as aheretic in 1415

 

St. Wenceslas Day

• 28^thofSeptember
• Wenceslas – the saint patron of the Czech lands
• in 935, St. Wenceslas, Duke of Bohemia, was murdered by his brother

 

Independent CzechoslovakStateDay

• 28^thofOctober
• 1918 – it is the date of foundation of the first independent Czechoslovak Republic

 

Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day

• 17^thofNovember
• commemorating the student demonstration against Nazi occupation in 1939, and the demonstration in 1989 that started the Velvet Revolution

 

Christmas Eve

• 24^thofDecember
• We start to prepare for Christmas four weeks before Christmas Eve – this period of time is called Advent.
• Children have a special calendar called a Christmas Calendar. It is usually made out of paper and it has twenty four windows. Every day the children open one of them to find a picture and a piece of chocolate.
• It has become a tradition to have a Christmas tree. It is usually a spruce tree, but it can also be a pine or a fir tree. The whole family decorates the tree with gingerbread and Christmas ornaments.
• According to tradition those who abstain from eating meat on the day of Christmas Eve will see the “golden pig” later in the evening as a reward.
• Christmas dinner starts around 6 p.m. We usually have fish soup and deep fried carp with potato salad. The meal is followed by cookies. The best part of the day comes after dinner: opening the presents. Children wait to hear a ringing bell signal from the „Infant Jesus“.
• After the Christmas Eve we usually spend the rest of the Christmas holiday visiting our friends and relatives.

 

Christmas Day

• 25^thofDecember
• an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ

 

St. Stephen’s Day

• 26^th ofDecember
• a Christian saint’s day to commemorate Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr