Wreath of spruce twigs placed on the table during Advent
Without exaggeration, Christmas in the Czech Republic is the most beloved holiday. It begins with Advent, which means 'arrival' in Latin, and on December 24 comes Christmas Eve, known to all Czechs as Generous Day. The Advent period lasts four weeks, symbolizing 4,000 years of humanity's waiting for the coming of the Redeemer. Christmas Eve is the day before the birth of Jesus Christ, and in Latin it is called 'vigilia'.
Customs, signs and superstitions
On Christmas Eve, it was customary to fast. Some parents promised their children that if they fasted and behaved well, they would see a golden pig in the evening, but if they were gluttonous from morning to night, Perchta would come and slit their overstuffed bellies. The word Perchta comes from the German Berchta and translates as White Lady. In the past, one could even see young girls, draped in white scarves or veils, going from house to house frightening small children as punishment for their lack of restraint. Instead of gifts, this Christmas character carried either a broom or a wooden knife for intimidation.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, mummers – so-called 'maškary' – walked through Czech villages. Their origin is associated with pre-Christian solstice rituals. Even before stepping onto the threshold of a stranger's house, the maškary performed cheerful carols, danced, and played on horns.
The appearance of the first star in the sky marks the end of the pre-holiday fast. However, family members were allowed to taste one of the Christmas dishes only when the hostess had everything ready. Interestingly, only an even number of people could sit at the table, so guests were invited in advance. Otherwise, it was a bad omen. During the festive dinner, they prayed, and it was customary to wish each other happiness and all the best in the coming year. The feasters thanked God for the joyful moments of the ending year and hoped that they would gather at the same table again next year.
Christmas tree in the house and carp on the table
Whereas today on Christmas Eve literally every Czech family prepares carp, in the period from the 16th to the 18th centuries, fish was not served to guests, being a Lenten product. This Czech tradition only appeared in the mid-19th century and is still alive today. Several centuries earlier, very popular ingredients were mushrooms, peas, oatmeal, honey, poppy seeds, and various dried fruits.
It was believed that there should be as much food on the festive table as possible, so that everyone present could eat their fill and there would still be leftovers – such a custom symbolized wealth and abundance in the coming year. Leftover food after dinner was customarily given to livestock, lowered into a well, or placed at the roots of trees. This strengthened the bond between the hosts and their property.
Today it is hard to imagine Christmas without a richly decorated and illuminated Christmas tree standing on almost every town square. Nevertheless, the tradition of setting up a Christmas tree in the Czech Republic did not always exist. The first Christmas trees began to appear only in the 19th century, and then only in noble houses. The bourgeoisie adopted this tradition a little later: in Czech villages, decorated Christmas trees could be seen only in the 1860s.
In the Czech Republic, as in many other countries, there are a number of superstitions related to the harvest. On Christmas Eve, the master of the house placed a glass of water under the festive table, and after dinner checked whether the amount of water had decreased or increased. If there was less water, it meant that the next year would be dry, but if the water increased, the year promised to be rainy.
Especially around New Year, Czechs loved to tell fortunes. Fortune-telling often involved relationships between girls and boys. Above all, they wanted to know whether their wedding would take place soon and who their chosen one would be. Young men believed that the girl they would first meet in the new year would become their wife. Girls, for their part, stood on the doorstep and ate an apple. If a man passed by them at that moment, they were convinced that they would soon get married.
The harvest was predicted by the stars: if the sky on Christmas Eve was abundant with stars, it was a sign that the hens would lay many eggs and the year would be generous with harvest and various gifts. Particular attention was paid to dreams. People believed that dreams they had just before Christmas or New Year were prophetic.
Czech Generous Evening – Christmas Eve – is full of all kinds of omens. One of them can be found in an ordinary apple. If you cut it in half and find a cross of seeds inside, it is considered an omen of illness, failure, sorrow, or even death. If a star appears inside, it is a promise of happiness, joy, and good luck in the coming year. To this day, Czechs love to cut an apple at Christmas and look into their fate.
Predictions were often made based on the behavior of people, animals, or natural phenomena – the choice depended on the specific fortune-teller. Fate could even be predicted by the movement of smoke from an extinguished candle: if it rose upward, it symbolized health and vitality, and if it drifted toward the door, a quick farewell to the house.
Tradition of folk crafts
Another notable Czech tradition is the creation of nativity scenes. They can usually be seen in large squares, in churches, or simply in someone's home. They can be artistic or literally live.
A Christmas nativity scene is a scene depicting the birth of Jesus Christ. The first such nativity scene was displayed to local residents in 1560 at the Church of St. Clement in Prague's Old Town. In the medieval period, figures of Saint Mary and Saint Joseph were made life-size, using wood, stone, or wax as materials. The other characters were portrayed by live people acting out scenes of the birth of Jesus Christ.
In the Baroque era, instead of liturgical plays, student plays appeared, called 'žákovské,' because in Czech 'student' is 'žák.' Young people often included overly secular scenes in their plays, and for this reason they were eventually expelled from churches. The students continued to perform their shows in squares and in front of taverns, and after a while the habit of going from house to house became established. Thus the tradition of carols was born.
Real nativity scenes appeared in the first half of the 16th century, during the Thirty Years' War. Gradually, other figures related to the birth of Christ were added to the nativity scene, depicting the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary, the birth of Jesus, or the arrival of the Three Magi. The first nativity scene of this type was built in the Czech Republic in 1562 in Prague.
Soon other Czech cities began to reproduce it. The nativity scene gradually moved from the church to the secular environment. At the beginning of the 18th century, it appeared in bourgeois homes, and at the end, even in the homes of ordinary citizens.
Perhaps one of the most famous Czech nativity scenes is the Třebechovický (or Probošt's) nativity scene. It was created from 1882 to 1926. Most of the figurines were carved by Josef Kapucián, Josef Probošt handled the scenography and overall organization, while Josef Friml brought movement into it. In 1967, the nativity scene was presented at the world exhibition Expo in Montreal, earning universal admiration.
The entire nativity scene, with the exception of a few details, is made of wood. Linden was used for the figurines, while the moving mechanism is made of hornbeam and beech. The nativity scene reaches a height of 2.2 m, a length of 6.9 m, and a depth of 1.9 m. Its net weight is about 1.2 tons.
In 1999, the Třebechovický nativity scene was recognized as a national cultural monument. Since 1972, it has been located in the museum of the town of Třebechovice pod Orebem. This unique nativity scene contains 351 figurines, more than 200 of which are movable.