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FESTIVALS & CUSTOMS
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chopr.er threi
As in much of the rest of the Western world, many holidays in the Czech Republic arc observed only nominally, as days off from work. Traffic will be lighter, public transportation slower, and small shops and government agencies closed, but beyond that, there might be no way for a visitor to know that it's a slate holiday
Thai -aid. when Czechs do decide to celebrate— whether for a special holiday like Christmas or a notable occasion such as a name day or wedding-there are definite customs and traditions observed that may he unexpected to an outsider.
THE CHRISTMAS SEASON The higgesi holiday on the t'zech calendar U Christmas, with formal holidays extending from December 24 through 26. The Christmas season kicks ofTmuch earlier, however, with December 5, Mikulas (St. Nicholas' Eve), the unofficial start date
On ihat date, the streets of the city fill with groups of costumed figures: angels, devils, and St. Nicholases. The trudit ion is for groups of the three to vis.il individual jpunments to sec thi children of" the household. All C«ch children know that if ihey haven't been good. || the devil can take them away in a sack on Mikuláš. The rate of the angel is to protect (he children from the devil, while St, Nicholas elicits a song or poem tu.'.". I he .hildren and gives them a little presem m return. r~   It you ask a Czech aduh about Mikulas. many \ will readily admit thai in their childhood December I 5 was one of the most stressful days on the calendar. The "best" devils are remarkably rrightcning'loflking. especially lor sinali children-wnh blackened tifcjcs. wild wigs. horns, tails, and n saek with chains—and it is ingrained from an early age thai the devil and his sack are more than ready \ to take naughty children back to hell.
For visitors. Mikuláš is a wonderful time to be :i     ■.cnlci nl Prague Old Town Square fills uiih peop'e nl .ill iisjc-^.i-i;! L.uiniW trinv three main players. Even little babies in carnages wear ihc >mall, electnc devil horns for sale at the holiday market that springs up around this time in the square.
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It's safe to say that many such notions would not play well in North America, hut in the Czech Republic, it's a much-anticipated way to kick off the Christmas celebrations.
As Christmas draws closer, other traditions get underway as well. Christmas cookies in vast number and variety are considered required work in mosl families, and the family bakers start several week.-; in advance lo craft the liny masterpieces, many of which are designed to "age" in the weeks before Christmas. From crumbly almond crescents n> intricately molded marzipan beehives, the cookies on offer in Czech households will delight and astound. Unfortunately for visitors, very tew of the baked goods and only the most common varieties are sold in commercial stores—the handcrafting necessary docsn'i lend itself to mass marketing.
About a week before Christmas, live Christmas tree stands and—more confusingly for visitors -hi...- iliiriiinuni lank-in iliv.- p.:hln.- square and on busy street corners;. The tanks are filled with live carp, the official Christmas dish of the Czech Republic. Carp buyers can choose to lake their fish home live, where they will be kept in the bathtub umil £ Christmas Lve, or they can have (hem "whacked" and processed there on the street.
The fish entrails arc never thrown away, as they create ihe basis for the soup ihat is the first course nl' ihe ( hrisimas dinner. The carp itself is fried in batter, and served traditionally v,ith potato salad. Non-fish-eaiers might he offered kureci rizek threaded chicken breast prepared like Wiener schnitzel >. Sometimes a special rolled sausage will he served as well.
Carp may not seem like the most obvious Christmas dish, but the popular theory is thai carp was a cheap enough "centerpiece" to he .11-l .1;.hk- I'j ■ e\emire. even peasant. (. xp -also a traditional Christmas dish in parts of Poland and Germany.
Czech families celebrate the yift-giviiig portion of the holidays on [}cccmhcr 24. and that is also the iradiiional day for the big Christinas dinner, the L'hnsimas tree is a part uf the celebration, bui it is out up on Christmas Eve, once the children have been taken somewhere else. Once the tree is decorated and the presents are in place, a small bell is rung to signify that Jcfcisck—the Czech equivalent of Sania Clans whose name literally means "Utile Jesus1'1 bul is not a religious figure—has come and the children can return. The number of presents is more important than the size or scale of Ihe
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items, and lite opening can take many hours,.
Christmas is very much considered 10 he <i private family holiday, so it is somewhat unlikely thai a visitor new io the country- would be invited to take part in the celebration. Still, visitors can involve themselves in the season by wandering through the markets, eating at a restaurant that offers Christmas carp {kapi), or attending a church service.
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the day after Christmas (Si Stephen's Day) are considered state holidays, and many businesses and all government agencies will be closed, because of the three-day holidays for Christmas and the status of January 1, New Year '■ Day, as a state holiday as well, some companies simply don't bother to open between Christmas and New Year. Even those businesses that do stay open are likely to be manned by skeleton crews, since the holiday season is a favorite time fur package vacations as well.
Given ihe closures and low staffing levels, the holiday season is a singularly bad choice for a business trip and can even be problematic for a pleasure visit. u1 Icasl on the state holidays Dining and shopping choices even in central Prague will be limited, and outside ihe capital— w iih ihe possible exception of ski resorts—it can seem like visiting a ghost town.
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NEW YEAR'S EVE \M) NEW YEAR'S DAY New Year'-- Eve is culled \Silvcsir" in Czech and is celebrated with la\ ish parties, dinners, and fireworks -largely by non-Czechs, ihe traditional Praguer way to spend Silvestr is to leave ihe city for a small private party at a t7i<;/«, or ski cottli^' M"*1 visitors will find themselves in one of the central squares or at the castle io watch ihe fireworks, which ate indeed spectacular but can also be dangerous Fireworks are sold in myriad rciad outlets for several weeks Icuding *lP to <hc holiday, and there are no restrictions on who can buy tfem. Basic safety rules about lighting (and throwing! > fireworks in crowd5 are t*01 observed.
As suvh. Prague lourist centers including Old Town Sfltiarc. Wenccslas Square, and the castle district jrc not good spots for families with children1-1"       Year's Eve. The danger factor is simply 0° mgh. For the adventurous, however, ihe ce!ei*r'»t'c>n's nut'ir ,ir|d infectious, if sometimes quite cold.
Rcsljunints traditionally offer i 'Silvi-sir-Menu,"* mullicourse meal and champagne, instead of their usual fare, and it's important to check the price before sitting down. Such menus are alrrost always more expensive than regular
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offerings, sometimes ridiculously so. Be aware.
New Year's Day is the actual state holiday, and in addition to marking the start or (he new year it commemorates Independent Czech Stale Renewal Day. the date in 1993 when Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia It is not traditionally celebrated with anything more involved than a day off from work to nurse Silvestr hangovers.
slugging the men but by presenting (hem with eggs. Men are supposed to warn to collect as many eggs as possible.
Although the Tradition has been questioned by-some outsiders and feminists, most Czechs sec it as harmless fun. However, some women admit to dreading the day because of ovcreagcr male relatives, and the practice is less popular than tt once was in urban areas.
EASTER
Given the Czechs' overall lack of affection for organized religion, it is perhaps, not surprising that they have put their own spin on Faster traditions. While the faithful do observe the Lenten and Lastcr season in ways that would be fainiliar to Christians around the world, on Easter Monday—also the state holiday of the period— the Czechs have their own pagan-origin way to celebrate.
for a week ot so before Easter, braided willow swiichcs ranging from tiny to giant arc on sale in flower shops and markets. On F.asier Monday, i men wield the switches to whip women around I ihc ankles. The women   who by tradition are supposed lu want to be whipped by as many men as possible—respond to the whipping not by
SPRING WEDDINGS, SUMMER HOLIDAYS
As the sun returns in the spring, the wedding season ramps up at local (own halls. As in most European countries. Czechs must have a civil ceremony to make their nuptials ufTieul, and Prague's spectacular Old Town Hall on the Old Town Sqitarc is a favorite spot. In April and June (May weddings are considered unlucky), the Old Town Hall turns into a virtual assembly line of civil ceremonies, with bridal couples in and not every ten minutes. Once joined, the wedding parties head to waiting cars decorated with flowery window ribbons and small bndc and groom figures to go to the recepiion. The motorcade will then honk its way through town, and it is entirely proper- -if not impossible to resist- -to wave and smile as they pass.
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Both May I and 8 are slate holidays, honoring May Duy tor workers and the end of the Second World War. respectively. Parades and demonstrations are not uncommon on May Day. especially among anti-globali^anon forces, t'ar-righl group*, and Communists, and sometimes violence has erupted when the disparate groups meet. However, since die riots of 2000 during j world meeting ofthe international Monetary Fund, the deck police have become more adept with crowd control, and as such, the demonstrations in recent years have stayed calm. Many Czechs also mark May 5. which was the beginning of the Czech uprising against Germany at the end of the Second World War in l£M5. but it's not a formal holiday.
I he Maturita
Another spring rite of passage is the Muturita, a state exam given in May and June to secondary school students to allow them to graduate and go on to university (if they can then pass the university entrance exams k The two-part test dales from ihc mid-nineteenth century, and students must conquer both the written and oral exams in several subjects to pass. Approximately 40 percent of all Czechs have passed the test, and to do so is
Still cons'dercd cause I'm celebration and honor. In the weeks leading up to the tests, small groups of potential graduates will gatheT in high-traffic areas such as public transportation stops and squares to raise money for ihe parlies that are held on completion of the exams. Putting a few coins in the can is sure to be appreciated—and the money is likely to he spent on drink.
Summer Vacations
As in must other European countries. j>ummcr vacalions arc taken seriously in ihc Czccji Republic. For their part. Czechs flee the cities for the fresh uir of their chaim in the summer, and weekends almost universally start early on Friday afternoons. Weekends are spent in the country, and most Czechs will also spend two weeks or more on vacation abroad. The Czech Republic, like most other European countries, offers generous paid vacation to its citizens. Employers are required to give their employees four weeks of paid vacation leave, and many employers tack an additional week onto that. Czech law also states that one vacation should be at least two weeks in length, so many workers lake adv jnlage of that stipulation to go on one of the many popular and affordable package vacations to sunny destinations. At least 10 percent will go to the seaside of Croatia.
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Given the high probability thai vast swathes of working Czechs will be taking a "Czech Friday'" or be on vacation during (he summer months (roughly mid-June 1o September 1), showing up to conduct business is not advised during this time. Delays can stretch to weeks as waves of employees leave for vacation.
The holidays that fall on July 5 and 6— commemorating the arrival of Christianity in the Slavic lands in the ninth century, and the burning of the religious and linguistic reformer Jan Hus ul the stake in 1415—take a particular toll on productivity as the two-day holiday often stretches longer Such vacation largesse may well be too depressing for vacation-starved Americans to cope with on a business trip. Best to wait until the fall
KM I. CELEBRATIONS Fall sees three state holidays, all commemorating Occh nationhood in some form. On September 28, Czech Statehood Day honors the Czech patron saint. Vaclav (Wenccslas). A month later, in October, the state recognizes Independent Czechoslovak Slate Proclamation Day, which marks the founding of the state of Czechoslovakia in 1u IK. After the Velvet Revolution, November 17 was declared the "Day
of The Fight for Freedom and Democracy" in honor of demon siraiors—many of whom were .. students^-who rose up against the the Nazis in 19M and the Communists in 1989. The day is marked mostly by the presence of small shnncs with burning candles at significant spots ihioughout Pingtic
Many Czechs also observe a sort of Memorial Day on November 2. once the Day of the Dead (All Souls' Day) in the Church calendar. It is not a holiday from work and no longer has religious connotations, but people visit and tend (he graves of loved ones on this day. Czech cemeteries tend to be beautifully kept up throughout the year.
Fall is also mushroom-picking season for legions of Czechs, Wild mushrooms {houby)arc used year-round by drying and pickling the fall's harvest, and most even,1 family has a special mushroom spot. A few Czechs every year die livm ealiny. |n:i-,Mi-ML;s m^s/in>imi:m: given how many do it, it's a testament to Czech nor io-.il rural knowledge that the number is as low as it is.
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BIRTHDAY S AM) NAME DAN'S For Czechs, "name days" isvetfy) are actually more important than birthdays, tach day of the calendar corresponds to the name of a saint, and
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M thai day, anyone who shares Ihc name t>f that sainl will celebrate his or her name day. It is customary to otter a toast and a small gift such us flower? or chocolates or a greeting card (It is vital to remember that only an odd number of flowers should be given as a gift. Even numbers signify1 funereal arrangements!}
In an office selling, it is noi unusual for coworkers to gather to celebrate a name day with champagne and an exchange of good wishes. Name days tor the week are often posted outside flower shops and also appear in most newspapers, including the English-language Prague Pott.
Birthdays are also celebrated, but on a smaller scale than name days In addition, the person celebrating Ihc birthday is customarily expected to provide the refreshments, which may seem strange to North Americans. If you arc invited to a restaurant for a Czech person's birthday, for example, it would be tradition that the person ha\ ing the birthday would pay tor the dinner, although it would be appreciated if the guests were to bring flowers or another small gift. At the office, a person having a birthday may bring in his or her own cake and champagne to share with the rest of the staff.
HOLIDAYS AND THE CZEITH TEAR
January 1 Independent Czech Stale Renewal Day. New tear March/April East? Monday M*y 1 Labor Day May 6  Lits-aium Day JulyS Cyril and Methodius Day July * Jan Hire Day Seplwitwr 2D Czech SlatBhuuc Day October 28 Independent Czechoslovak Stete Proclamation Day
IT Day of fight tor Freedom and Democracy D*c*ifiber24 Christmas Eve Pecawifcer 25 rjrötnias Day December 26 St. Stephen's Day
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