How to celebrate a Czech Christmas

Christmas is celebrated around the world, but not everyone celebrates the same way. Here are some of the ways children in the Czech Republic and Slovakia celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.

Christmas Dinner

Think about your family's Christmas mealš. Most households in Iowa choose turkey, ham or roast beef for their holiday dinner. In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and other nearby nations, including Poland, Austria, Germany, and Croatia, carp is the main course for the big holiday meal.

A few days before Christmas, families go out to pick up their carp and bring it back home. Some families choose to buy the fish live and store it in the bathtub! It sounds silly, but there's a reason for this. Carp are bottom feeders. The idea is that a few days swimming in clean water helps to flush mud from the fish's digestive tract.

Svatý Mikuláš, The Andel And The Cert

In the U.S., and other parts of the world, Santa Claus is the one watching over children all year long to see if they've been bad or good. A good child will have a gift from Santa under the tree Christmas morning, but a naughty child will have a lump of coal. They do things a bit differently in the Czech Republic. First, they don't call their gift giver from the North Pole Santa Claus; he's Svatý Mikuláš (Saint Nicholas). And he doesn't visit on Christmas Eve.

Legend has it that Svatý Mikuláš and an angel (Andel) descend from heaven on a golden rope every December 6 to meet the devil (Cert) on earth. The trio then walk the streets of the Czech Republic. Svatý Mikuláš asks every child they meet if they've been good or bad and the angel records their answers in her book.

If the report is good, the child is rewarded with sweets and treats from the angel. If the child has been naughty, the devil, lurking in the background and rattling his chains, gives the child a lump of coal or a potato. Svatý Mikuláš reminds the children that Christmas is a few short weeks away and they must behave themselves or the baby Jesus will not bring them presents on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve

Unlike Santa Claus, Svatý Mikuláš doesn't deliver the children's gifts on Christmas - that is the baby Jesus' job in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Family gifts are put under the Christmas tree. A common tradition is that the children have to leave the room when the presents are being brought by Jesus. When they are there, a bell is rung. The children then run to the Christmas tree to try and see the Baby Jesus but they always narrowly miss him!

The Christmas tree

The Christmas tree is an important part of the holiday season for Czech and Slovak families. Like Christmas trees in the U.S., every tree is unique, but there are traditional decorations Czechs and Slovaks commonly put on their tree.

' An angel represents the angel who appeared before Mary, asking her to be the mother of Jesus.

' Strings of popcorn signify the rope Joseph held as he led the donkey to Bethlehem.

' Walnuts are the gifts from the three wise men.

' Oranges are a special fruit only available during the Christmas season.

' Wheat is a symbol of life, prosperity, and nourishment.

' The cloth at the base of the tree represents Jesus' swaddling clothes.

' Apples are a reminder of Adam and Eve.

' A white dove is placed near the top of the tree to evoke peace.

You can learn more about holiday traditions in the Czech Republic and Slovakia by purchasing a copy of our Czech and Slovak Activity Book, written by Sarah Henderson, NCSML's Associate Director of Lifelong Learning, online at store.ncsml.org, in-person at the Museum Store, or by calling the NCSML at 319-362-8500.

The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library preserves, presents, and transcends unique stories of Czech and Slovak history and culture through innovative experiences and active engagement to reach cross-cultural audiences locally, nationally, and internationally. Website: ncsml.org