Updated: 27.10.2020
Holidays, Festivals and Seasonal Customs
A holiday is a day set aside by custom or law to celebrate and commemorate events, people or traditions. Public holidays are usually days when people don't go to school or work and instead participate in traditional celebrations. Some holidays are internationally celebrated, but some are only a local event. Also, different religions celebrate different religious holidays on different days.
Christmas
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| holly - cesmína |
These holidays are typically celebrated by singing carols and having a Christmas Tree. Typical decorations are nativity scenes, jingle bells, stockings, candy canes and snowflakes. Plants linked to Christmas are mistletoe, holly and poinsettia, commonly known as Christmas Star, and various wreaths are made. In western countries, families bake cookies and make typical sweets, such as gingerbread. There are many other typical traditions, like burning the yule log.
The nativity of Jesus is depicted in nativity scenes, called Jesličky or Betlém in Czech, because Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea. His parents Mary and Joseph are typically showed with the child in a barn with animals and sometimes with shepherds and angels. The three Magi, also called Kings, were Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar and they brought gold, frankincense and myrrh with them. The Star of Bethlehem is shown as a comet above the child, but most scholars don't believe it was so.
British Christmas are celebrated by a family feast in the evening on 24th December. They usually eat a turkey with brussels sprouts and roast potatoes, other traditional meals include pudding and mince pies. In the morning on 25th December, presents are unwrapped. Father Christmas brings these presents and puts them under the tree or in stockings on the mantelpiece. The 26th December is called Boxing Day, because the servants and poor people used to receive a Christmas-Box of leftovers, little presents and a small cash donation. On Twelfth Night, Christmas decorations are to be taken down, because it brings bad luck to leave them up after this day.
Ebnezer Scrooge is the main character of A Christmas Carol, a novella by Charles Dickens. He was an elderly miser who hated spending money and his name is often used in this context. He was visited by a ghost and the three Christmas Spirits. Because of this, he is transformed into a kinder person and gives a large donation to charity.
American Christmas season starts with Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. The families also have a dinner on 24th December, usually a turkey with stuffing or roast beef. The presents are brought by Santa Claus and children leave cookies and milk for him, and sometimes carrots for his reindeer. Presents are also put in stockings or under the tree and opened on 25th December in the morning. For some, Twelfth Night is the night of festive parties and gift giving.
Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, is a legendary figure who brings presents to those who behave well. He has a workshop at the North Pole, where his elves make toys, which he delivers with his flying reindeer, who pull his sleigh. Each year, special websites are created to track Santa, NORAD began this tradition in 1955. He is usually depicted as an old man with a large beard and dressed in a red costume with a pointy hat. Saint Nicholas' Day is celebrated in the Czech Republic on 6th December, when Mikuláš and an angel brings sweets to nice children and a devil brings coal to naughty children.
Czech Christmas are very specific and we have many old traditions. Czechs bake traditional sweets called cukroví, the family recipes are passed for generations. The 24th December is called Štědrý den and the most usual tradition is not to eat until dinner, so one can see the Golden Piglet. For dinner, Czechs eat fish, pea or lentil soup, a carp or any other fish and a potato salad, for which each family has its own recipe. The presents are brought by Ježížek, they are put under the tree and are traditionally opened after the Christmas dinner. Czech Christmas season begins with Advent, which lasts four Sundays before Christmas. Many people make Advent wreaths with four candles for each Sunday. The celebrations end on 6th January, the day called Tři králové, after the three men who visited Jesus and brought him gifts.
Easter
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| Pace-Eggs |
Most Christians refer to the week before Easter as the Holy Week and it contains the Easter Triduum. Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem and palms became a symbol of victory and peace for the Christians. Maundy Thursday commemorates the Maundy, the Washing of the Feet, and the Last Supper and Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus by Romans at Calvary in circa 30AD. Holy Saturday ends the Holy Week and commemorates the day that Jesus lay in the tomb and the Harrowing of Hell.
Easter Sunday begins the season of Eastertide and it celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. Before the working week calendar became more effective, Sunday was regarded as the first day of the week. Easter Monday is also called Dyngus Day and it is tied with many folk customs. For Christians, Easter lasts for many weeks, during which they feast, decorate churches and attend masses.
British Easter is celebrated by two bank holidays, on Good Friday and on Easter Monday. Eggs are decorated and on Sunday morning, children search for them in the garden, this is called the egg hunt. The Easter Bunny brings chocolate eggs and sweets in a basket and many families attend Sunday Mass. A Sunday roast is typical, often of roast lamb or ham. Simnel cake is a fruit cake with eleven marzipan balls and a hot cross bun is traditional for Good Friday. Egg rolling is a traditional game with hard-boiled eggs, each nation has a different version. Pace-Eggs are traditionally decorated eggs, boiled in onion skin, and Pace Egg Plays are medieval plays, similar to mumming on Halloween. Morris dancing is a form of English folk dance, where men in costumes dance in the streets and one man often carries an inflated pigs bladder on a stick.
American Easter is not a federal holiday, but most of the time, it is a part of the spring break. In the US, traditional Easter is celebrated mostly by the Polish minority and Catholics. Many customs are similar to the British Easter, like the very popular Easter Bunny who brings the Easter Basket. Egg rolling and egg hunts are also common, the Easter Egg Roll in the White House is traditionally hosted by the President on the South Lawn on Easter Monday. Easter parades are common on Easter Sunday in many cities, the most famous is Fifth Avenue parade in New York City.
Czech Easter is very specific and similar customs are observed only in Slovakia and Poland. Kraslice are eggs decorated in a traditional way, there are many special techniques including wax and gentle drilling. A traditional sweet cake is called Beránek, because it is in the shape of a lamb. Pomlázka is a special handmade whip made of eight or twelve willow rods. On Ester Monday morning, boys go door to door and spank the girls with pomlázka traditionall in exchange for ribbons and kraslice. Sometimes, they also say rhymes and pour cold water or perfume of the girls. According to legend, spanked girls won't dry up and be healthy and beautiful the whole year. Today, boys also get small gifts, sweets or cash and are invited for a drink, but the tradition is mostly observed in villages. Both Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays and children get an Easter break on Thursday as well.
Allhallowtide
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| soul cakes |
All Saint's Eve, commonly called Halloween, is celebrated on 31st October. The holiday is originally a British festival, but it gained most popularity in the United States. Traditional Halloween activities include souling, soulers go door to door and offer prayers in exchange for small soul cakes, and guising, going door to door dressed as a spirit. In the past, the main goal was to ward off evil spirits, but today, any supernatural beings, such as vampires, witches and werewolves, are popular.
Today, trick-or-treating is the most popular activity, where children in costumes go door to door and ask for candy. The symbol of this holiday is a jack-o'-lantern, a carved pumpkin with a candle. A traditional game is also apple bobbing, where players try to catch floating apples with their teeth. Other activities include divination games, visiting haunted houses, watching horror films and lighting bonfires. Houses are decorated with scary things such as skeletons, cobwebs, blood and ghosts and traditional food includes caramel apples, candy corn, barmbrack, bonfire toffee and roasted seeds.
Some people believe it has pagan roots and is connected to the Celtic holiday Samhain, which ends the harvest season and marks the beginning of winter. This Gaelic festival was widely observed in Ireland, Scotland and on the Isle on Man and similar festivals were held by the Brittonic Celts. The Celtic beliefs influenced many folk customs in Europe, for example in the Czech Republic, the custom of Pálení Čarodějnic on 30th April, is very similar to the Beltane festival.
All Saint's Day, also called the Feast of All Saints, is a Christian festival celebrated in honour of all the saints on 1st November. People usually attend church and visit cemeteries with flowers. Saints are celebrated since the 5th century, but the first holiday commemorating them was in May.
All Souls' Day, also called the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, is a holiday celebrated on the 2nd November to commemorate the deceased relatives. Christians pray for the dead, visit their graves and also attend church. In the Czech Republic, this holiday is commonly called Dušičky and it is widely celebrated. People go to the cemetery and clean the family grave, they bring flowers and wreaths, they pray and light candles.
Typical British Holidays
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| poppy - vlčí mák |
Guy Fawkes Night is celebrated on 5th November by bonfires and fireworks, but it is not a bank holiday. It commemorates the Gunpowder Treason of 1605, a failed assassination attempt against King James I. The plan was to blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament, but Guy Fawkes was arrested while guarding the explosives. Today, it is usually celebrated at large organised events, centred on a bonfire and extravagant firework displays. A doll called Guy is stuffed and it used to be customary to beg for "a penny for the Guy" and puppets of unpopular people were burnt. A poem about the day has many versions, but the most commonly known goes "Remember, remember, the fifth of November, Gunpowder Treason and Plot..."
St Patrick's Day is celebrated on 17th March and is a public holiday in Northern Ireland only. The day commemorates the death of the patron of Ireland, saint Patrick, who brought Christianity to Ireland. Legend says he banished all snakes from the island, because there aren't any snakes anywhere. It is celebrated by parades and festivals, wearing green attire, shamrocks and leprechaun outfits. Food and sometimes even rivers, such as Vilnia in Lithuania and Chicago River in the US, are dyed green.
Remembrance Day, also called Poppy Day, is a memorial day celebrated on 11th November. It commemorates the soldiers who have died in the line of duty since WWI. There are many wreath-laying ceremonies at war memorials on this day and a custom of two minutes of silence is observed. Remembrance poppies are put on memorials, or worn on clothing.
The Queen's Official Birthday is celebrated on the second Saturday of June and is not a bank holiday. The day is marked in London by the ceremony of Trooping the Colour, called also the Queen's Birthday Parade. The day serves as the official birthdate of the monarch, Queen Elizabeth II was actually born on 21st April 1926.
The Summer Solstice, also called Midsummer, happens when the Sun reaches its highest position in the sky and it is the longest day of the year. Midsummer festivities are traditional in the UK, especially around Stonehenge. Thousands of people gather at the site, especially known was the Free Festival in the 1970s and 1980s, but the Solstice Festival is popular even today.
Typical Czech Holidays
There are thirteen Czech holidays, which can be divided into two groups. State holidays commemorate important dates from Czech history and other holidays are culturally based, such as Christmas and Easter.Den boje za svobodu a demokracii, Fight for Freedom and Democracy Day, and also the International Students' Day, is celebrated on 17th November to commemorate the Nazi execution of nine Czech students in 1939. Czech universities were shut down after demonstrations and 1200 students were sent to concentration camps. The Velvet Revolution of 1989 started with a demonstration on Václavské náměstí on 17th November.
Den vzniku samostatného československého státu, Independent Czechoslovakia Day, is celebrated on 28th October. In 1918, the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed and many states declared independence. Our first president was Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk and the state, commonly called the First Republic, lasted until 1938.
Den české státnosti, Statehood Day, is also St Václav's Day, because it is celebrated on 28th September, which is an important day for Czech statehood. In 935, saint Václav, the Duke of Bohemia, was murdered by his brother Boleslav and later martyred, he became the patron of the Czech state. In 995, the hillfort Libice was conquered and the House of Slavník was nearly killed off.
Den vítězství, Victory Day or Liberation Day, is celebrated on 8th May to commemorate the end of WWII in 1945. The liberation of the Czechoslovak Republic began on 6th October 1944 by the Red Army and on 18th April 1945 by the American Army. Opava was liberated on 24th April and Prague was liberated on 9th May. Each town in the Czech Republic now celebrates Liberation Day on the day the city was liberated from the Nazi Army.
Den Slovanskách věrozvěstů Cyrila a Metoděje, St Cyril and Methodius' Day, is celebrated on 5th July and commemorates the Christian missionaries in 863. The brothers influenced the cultural development of Slavs and came even to Velká Morava. They are called the Apostles to the Slavs and are credited with creating the Hlaholice alphabet for their language.
Den upálení mistra Jana Husa, simply Jan Hus Day, is celebrated on 6th July. It commemorates the religious reformer master Hus, who was burned at stake in Constance in 1415 for his criticism of the Church. He was the rector of the Charles University and a key figure in Husictví and the Bohemian Reformation.
Valpružina noc or Filipojakubská noc, in other countries known as Saint Walpurga's Night, is, in the Czech Republic, it is commonly called Pálení čarodějnic. It is celebrated on 30th April with dancing and bonfires to ward off evil witches. Today, children usually wear witch costumes and carry brooms and women jokingly refer to designated areas of witch gatherings where they intend to fly on a broom after nightfall to have a party.
Typical American Holidays
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| groundhog - svišť lesní |
Thanksgiving is a federal holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. It originated as a harvest festival in the 17th century. It is a family feast holiday and a stuffed and roasted turkey is eaten for dinner, so much so that the day is also called Turkey Day. Several presidents have granted a turkey a presidential pardon and President George Bush Senior made it a tradition in 1989. Other typical meals include mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet corn and pumpkin pie. The day after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday and it begins American Christmas shopping season since 1952.
Independence Day is a federal holiday commemoration the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on 4th July, 1776. The Continental Congress declared the 13 American Colonies a free and independent state, no longer connected to the British Crown. It is typically celebrated by fireworks, parades, displaying national flags and giving political speeches.
Veterans Day is a federal holiday celebrated on 11th November to honour military veterans who served in the US Armed Forces. It coincides with celebrations of the end of WWI in 1918. It is celebrates by parades, displaying the American flag and visiting war memorials. On the other hand, Memorial Day is a federal holiday celebrated on the last Monday in May. It commemorates the people who died in the military service. Many people visit cemeteries and the American flag is placed on graves.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, officially Birthday of Martin Luther King, is an American federal holiday marking the birthday of the famous activist and leader in the Civil Rights Movement. It is a floating Monday celebration, celebrated on the third monday in January by marches, volunteering and donations. Martin Luther King was nominated for the 1967 Nobel Peace Prize and was shot on April 4, 1968.
Columbus Day is a national holiday in many countries of the Americas, it celebrates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492. The Italian explorer set sail across the Altantic Ocean in search for a faster route to the Far East, but found the New World instead. The voyage took three months and he had three Spanish ships, Santa Maria, Nina and La Pinta. In the US, it is celebrated on the second Monday in October by parades, but it is not an official state holiday and many people do not observe it at all.
Groundhog Day is a popular tradition celebrated on 2nd February, first celebrated in 1840 according to known records. It comes from a superstition that the groundhog can predict the length of the winter. It became more popular and widely known because of the 1993 film Groundhog Day.
International Holidays
St Valentine's Day is celebrated on 14th February. The saint is said to marry young couples who were not allowed to be together, so his holiday became the celebration of romantic love. People usually give Valentine cards with red hearts, chocolate and flowers to their loved ones.
April Fools' Day is celebrated on 1st April by playing pranks, practical jokes or spreading hoaxes. The jokes and the victims are called April Fools and are often revealed by their initiators. Even some newspapers publish fake stories and then explain them the next day.
Mother's Day is a celebration honouring mothers, motherhood and maternal bonds. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in March or May. Similarly, some people also celebrate Father's Day and Children's Day.
New Year's Eve is celebrated on 31st December and New Year's Day on 1st January. It is celebrated by parties and fireworks at midnight. In the Czech Republic, it is a public holiday, because it also marks the beginning if the independent Czech Republic, after Czechoslovakia split in 1993.
International Women's Day is celebrated on 8th March. It celebrates womanhood, feminine beauty and the movement of women's rights. In some countries, it is a public holiday, whereas elsewhere it is ignored.
Teachers' Day is a celebration to honor and appreciate teachers. In the Czech Republic, it is celebrated on 28th March, the birthday of Jan Amos Komenský. Many countries celebrate World Teachers' Day on 5th October since 1994.
International Workers' Day, is also called Labour Day or May Day and it is celebrated on 1st of May. It is a public holiday in many countries and it commemorates the strike of workers in Chicago in 1886 and the Haymarket affair. In the Czech Republic, it is celebrated as Svátek práce. It is also traditional for lovers to kiss under blooming cherry trees.
Earth Day is celebrated on 22nd April to support environmental protection. The day after that is English Language Day, which celebrates multilingualism and cultural diversity. The date was chosen because it is traditionally observed as the birthday and date of death of William Shakespeare.
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