Otázka: National holidays in the Czech Republic
Jazyk: Angličtina
Přidal(a): Giraffe
New Year´sDay
- 1st 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
- 1stofMay
- holiday of working people
LiberationDay
- 8thofMay
- the day of the liberation of Czechoslovakia from the Nazis
- the end of WWII in Europe
Saints Cyril and Methodius Day
- 5thof July
- In 863, Churchteachers St.Cyril (Constantine) and Metoděj (Methodius) camefromthe Balkans to Great Moravia to propagate Christian faith and literacy.
Jan Hus Day
- 6thof July
- Jan Hus – a Catholic preacher of the commons was burned to death at the stake as aheretic in 1415
St. Wenceslas Day
- 28thofSeptember
- Wenceslas – the saint patron of the Czech lands
- in 935, St. Wenceslas, Duke of Bohemia, was murdered by his brother
Independent CzechoslovakStateDay
- 28thofOctober
- 1918 – it is the date of foundation of the first independent Czechoslovak Republic
Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day
- 17thofNovember
- commemorating the student demonstration against Nazi occupation in 1939, and the demonstration in 1989 that started the Velvet Revolution
Christmas Eve
- 24thofDecember
- 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
- 25thofDecember
- an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ
St. Stephen’s Day
- 26th ofDecember
- a Christian saint’s day to commemorate Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr
