Happy New Year! Czech Christmas Traditions Czech Christmas Cards
Hey Libor! If you remember, then you and I parted on the fact that today we will continue to prepare for Christmas.
I remember. Only I would like, given that this is the last lesson of the Czech language this year, that we, together with our radio listeners, repeated what we had already learned.
Libor, but that's impossible! Are you going to repeat everything that we have told during the year within the framework of one program?!
Of course not. Today we have only holiday themes: Christmas and New Year!
Actually, you and I were planning to go shopping for presents....
Here we go, especially since this is the last weekend before the holiday. Golden.
Not a weekend, but Sunday.
That's right. So in the Czech Republic it is customary to call the last three Sundays before Christmas: bronze - bronzová, silver - stribrna and golden - zlata.
We also talked about the fact that in the Czech Republic gifts for Christmas bring Jezišek. This is the newborn Jesus Christ. After all, Christmas is the birth of Jesus.
We also talked about a good tradition, when on the eve of Christmas all the children write letters Jeziskovi asking them to give them what they want. Those children who do not know how to write draw their wishes. In this regard, there is even such a pre-Christmas wish: "bohatého Ježíška"!
We already talked about the traditional Christmas dinner in the last program. But we haven’t moved on to gifts yet.
Let's do it right. So, December 24 is the eve of Christmas, because Christmas is supposed to be on the night of December 24-25 according to the Catholic calendar. So, December 24 - Štědrý večer.
I remember how you said that on this day you can’t eat until the first star appears in the sky, in a word, before dinner. He also said that if you don’t eat all day, then Štědrý večer you will see the golden pig.
There is such a belief.
Let's skip dinner already. We have already discussed all the menus.
In many families, they symbolically start an alarm clock so that after dinner the bell will ring - this Jezišek brought gifts. And if today we have already dedicated our program to Christmas traditions, then we must not forget that on this day they sing “ Koledy". On this day, children go from house to house and sing Christmas carols, and people thank them and give them fruits, sweets, and coins.
So sing us, please, one of them.
Probably won't be able to sing, but I'll read:
Dej Bůh štěsti tomu domu,
My zpíváme, vime komu:
Malemu děťátku,
Kristu Jezulatku,
Dnes v Betleme
Narozenem.
And now we just have to wish each other, all our colleagues, relatives, friends and, of course, radio listeners: Veselé Vánoce a Šťastný Nový Rok!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
For Christmas - in Czech Vánoce - in the Czech Republic they begin to prepare long before December 25th. On the day of St. Andrew, November 30, Prague and thirteen Czech regions are immersed in the magical atmosphere of Advent, waiting for the Messiah. On the streets of cities, here and there, in large flower pots, Christmas trees “grow” with the stars of Bethlehem on their tops, bunches of evergreen mistletoe miraculously appear on the front doors of houses, colored garlands are lit in the windows. In the heart of old Prague, on the Old Town and Wenceslas Squares, souvenir sellers set up their stalls, and the wind carries the alluring aromas of punch, mulled wine, grog, roasted chestnuts and boiled corn through all the nooks and crannies.
On December 4, on the day of St. Barbara, Czechs cut branches from cherry trees - barbors - and put them in the water. Barborkas should bloom by Christmas, which means they should bring good luck. The day on which the first greenery appears on the frozen branches will symbolize the most successful month in the coming year. According to an old tradition, three weeks before Christmas, Czech housewives start baking festive gingerbread cookies (Zázvorky) and vanilla cones (Vanilkové rohlíčky). Today this custom is rarely followed, with cookies being baked at most three or four days before the great feast.
On December 6, on the day of St. Nicholas - Mikulas - the first children's matinee is held in the Czech Republic. Old man Mikulash, with a long gray beard and a staff reminiscent of Russian Santa Claus, walks the streets with a large box of gifts in the company of a devil and an angel and is interested in the behavior of local children. Sweet gifts - sweets (bonbóny), gingerbread (perníčky), nuts (ořechy) - go to diligent and well-mannered children, as well as those who cheer Mikulas with a kind poem or a cheerful song. On Třebíč Square in Karlovy Vary, on this day, traditional fun is held in honor of Mikulas: the city's residents light up Christmas trees and sing carols.
Czechs spend almost a whole week in pre-Christmas fun, and on December 13, on the day of St. Lucy, the protector from witchcraft and charms, young Czechs put on white hoodies, whiten their faces with powder and go out into the street in search of carefree passers-by who can get hold of money or sweets.
A week before Christmas, fishmongers appear on the streets of the Czech Republic and strings of traditional Czechs line up in front of large tubs of water. In these tubs, selected carps are splashing, which were grown in special ponds throughout the year. It is believed that there should not be a single piece of meat on the Czech Christmas table, the traditional Christmas dish of Czech cuisine is fried carp (smažený kapr) with a side dish of potato salad (bramborový salát).
Christmas Eve on December 24 in the Czech Republic is called Generous Evening. On this day, it is also called Bear Christmas, it is customary to feed bears with sweets. For example, residents of the town of Český Krumlov feed the bears that live in the moat.
With the appearance of the first star in the sky in Czech houses, they sit down at the table. One of the good signs of this evening is an even number of guests and the number of dishes prepared is nine. On the Christmas table, you can almost always see Czech pies (koláč), pancakes (lívance), stuffed flour balls (knedlíky), lentil soup. The traditional Czech Christmas alcoholic drink is Becherovka, a herbal liqueur made according to an old Czech recipe. In Karlovy Vary, there is a whole museum of Becherovka, visiting which you can learn the history of the drink, the subtleties of its preparation, and even taste it. As for Christmas beer, it is brewed in the Czech Republic in limited quantities and sold in bars only as a draft. In Russia, Czech Christmas beer (Pražečka Christmas) can be found in large supermarkets.
For dessert in the Czech Republic, a traditional Christmas cake (vánočka) with almonds and raisins, waffles (oplatky) with honey, cakes (vánoční dortíky), gingerbread and tiny cookies with a diameter of 2-3 cm (cukroví) are served. On Christmas Eve in Czech stores you can buy more than twenty types of this delicacy, sold in large colorful boxes by weight and by the piece.
On Christmas night in the Czech Republic, three masses are celebrated, which are a symbol of the birth of Christ in the bosom of the Father, in the womb of the Mother of God and in the soul of every believer. At the time of worship, the Czech streets are empty. The Basilica of St. George in Prague, the Bethlehem Chapel, the Church of the Virgin Mary the Victorious are filled with Czechs of all ages. Everywhere - both in houses and on the streets of cities, you can see the so-called Betlems, models of a manger with figures of a born savior and the Virgin Mary, surrounded by shepherds and angels, donkeys, camels and other animals. Once upon a time, every Czech family made their own model of a manger out of wood, straw, paper and clay. Today, more and more professional artists are engaged in the manufacture of Bethlems, exhibiting their works in churches and on city squares. Such exhibitions are akin to puppet theatrical performances that tell about the main miracle of Christmas - elegant puppets move and sing, and in some places you can see live donkeys and ponies decorously carrying happy children along the winter sidewalks. In the Czech Republic, a whole cult of the baby Jesus has been created - here he is affectionately called Ezhishka (Ezulatko), depicted as a festively dressed ruddy doll. The Jezulatka Museum in Prague displays dresses made for the baby Jesus by queens and princesses from all over the world.
On the first day of Christmas, December 25, on the embankments of the Vltava - on this river are the cities of Cesky Krumlov, Ceské Budějovice, Prague - people come with aquariums, buckets, pots and bags filled with water. This tradition appeared relatively recently, but every year more and more kind-hearted Czechs bring carps to the river, which should have been a Christmas dinner. The fish that have spent Christmas evening in bathtubs and basins on tables and have already received names are solemnly released into the cold waters of the river.
The Czech Christmas tale does not end there. On December 26, on the day of St. Stepan, it is customary for Czechs to inspect betlems and carol; on the day of John the Evangelist, December 27, a rite of purification of wine takes place, and on December 31, along with the New Year in the Czech Republic, the day of St. Sylvester comes, on which it is customary to visit relatives and give gifts.
Cheerful uproar on the streets of Prague and thirteen Czech regions does not stop for a minute. The lights are still burning in the windows of the houses, the bouquets of mistletoe on the front doors glisten with gold wrapping paper, spruces, firs and pines growing in huge flower pots look just as fresh and fabulous, and over the roofs of red brick covered with white snow, the wind blows with a new force spreads the alluring smells of fried sausages and glazed gingerbread, aromas of punch, grog and mulled wine.
Recipes
Christmas punch
Ingredients:
200 ml rum 
100 g raisins
½ l strong black tea
½ l red wine
a few slices of lemon
2 pieces whole cinnamon
4 things. dried cloves
Cooking:
Soak raisins for a few hours in rum. Then bring the mixed tea, red wine, lemon slices, cinnamon pieces and dried cloves to a boil. Pour rum with raisins soaked in it into thick glass glasses, pour a slightly cooled drink of tea and wine on top, after removing the spices.
Christmas gingerbread cookies
Ingredients:
225 g flour 
90 g butter
90 g sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp ground ginger
ground cinnamon, cloves on the tip of a knife
1 sachet of baking powder or 1 tsp. soda slaked in vinegar
Cooking:
Whisk softened butter with sugar. Beat the egg separately, add ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, whipped butter with sugar, baking powder or soda slaked in vinegar, flour. Knead the dough and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Place the chilled dough on a floured work surface and roll out to 3mm thick. Using various molds, cut out cookies, put them on a baking sheet, the bottom of which is pre-covered with baking paper, and put in the oven, preheated to 180 degrees, for 15-20 minutes.
Vanilla crescents (horns)
Ingredients:
280 g flour
200 butter
80 g powdered sugar
vanilla sugar
100 g ground walnuts
Cooking:
Sift flour, vanilla sugar and powdered sugar, ground walnuts in a deep bowl. Gradually stir in softened butter, knead the dough, wrap it in food foil and refrigerate for 30-40 minutes. From the cooled dough, form small crescent-shaped bagels, put on a baking sheet, the bottom of which is pre-lined with baking paper, and bake in an oven preheated to 180 degrees until the bagels are browned. Sprinkle the finished cookies with powdered sugar.
Christmas gingerbread
Ingredients:
650 g flour
250 g powdered sugar
50 g melted butter
100 g liquid honey
3 eggs
1 tsp cocoa
1 tsp salt
2 tsp a mixture of ground cloves, allspice, cinnamon and a pinch of ginger
For glaze:
150 g powdered sugar
1 protein
1 tsp starch
A few drops of lemon juice
Cooking: 
Mix melted butter with honey, add eggs, cocoa, salt, seasoning mixture to the cooled mixture. Sift flour and icing sugar on the board, add the previously obtained mixture, knead the dough and leave under the film for 24 hours. The next day, roll out a 0.5 cm thick layer of dough and cut out gingerbread cookies using various molds. If the dough seems too tight to you, hold it for a while in a water bath. Spread the gingerbread on a greased baking sheet and bake until cooked at a temperature of 160-190 degrees.
Decorate the cooled gingerbread with icing made from powdered sugar, whipped with protein, lemon juice and starch.
Christmas carp baked in the oven with sage
Ingredients:
1 carp
120 g butter
125 g cream
Cooking: 
Gut and clean the fish from scales, divide the carcass into two parts, pepper, salt and sprinkle with sage. Melt 80 g of butter on a baking sheet, put the carp, pour the remaining melted butter on top of the fish. Bake the fish in the oven at a high temperature, periodically pouring fish broth or water over the carp. Put the finished fish on a dish and cover with a lid. Mix the juice left after cooking the fish with cream, bring to a boil and pour over the carp.
Brambor (potato) salad
Ingredients:
300 g potatoes
juice and zest of 1 lime
50 ml olive oil
10 g fresh grated ginger
green onion
ground white pepper
Cooking:
Peel potatoes, cut into 1cm cubes and boil in salted boiling water. Rinse the cooked potatoes with cold water and transfer to a bowl. For dressing, combine lime zest and juice, ginger, finely chopped green onion, ground white pepper and olive oil. Pour the mixture over the potatoes and refrigerate. The salad can be served with sour cream with chopped mint.
Lebanese (pancakes)
Ingredients:
½ l warm milk
500 g flour
2 eggs
30 g yeast
60 g sugar
10 g lemon peel
100 g marmalade 
80 g cottage cheese
salt
Cooking:
Prepare yeast dough in the sponge method with yeast, sugar, milk, flour, a pinch of salt, lemon zest and eggs.
Grease a frying pan with melted fat and fry small pancakes on it until golden brown. Lubricate the finished pancakes with marmalade, sprinkle with cottage cheese. Lebanese can be served with sour cream or whipped cream.
Fruit dumplings
Ingredients:
250 g cottage cheese
1 egg
2 tbsp decoys
ground crackers 
pieces of any fruit or dried apricots
cinnamon
powdered sugar
vanilla sugar
melted butter
Cooking:
Knead the dough from cottage cheese, eggs, semolina and 1 tbsp. ground crackers. Form cakes with a diameter of 5 cm and 0.5 cm thick, put pieces of fresh fruit or dried apricots in the center of the cakes, sprinkle with cinnamon and close the cakes well, giving them the shape of balls with stuffing inside. Boil the dumplings in boiling salted water, sprinkle with toasted breadcrumbs, powdered sugar and vanilla sugar, pour in melted butter.
Christmas tub
Ingredients:
1 kg flour 
¼ l milk
80 g yeast
200 g powdered sugar
2 eggs
250 g butter
vanilla sugar
zest of 1 lemon
almond
raisin
salt
Cooking:
To prepare a Christmas Vanochka, mix a dough of milk, yeast and a small amount of sugar. Mix flour, powdered sugar, vanilla sugar, grated lemon zest, a pinch of salt, 1 egg and softened butter. Add the resulting mixture, chopped almonds and raisins (to taste) to the finished dough, knead the dough and leave to rise for 3 hours. The dough must be “kneaded” twice and allowed to rise again. Weave the risen dough into braids, transfer to a greased baking sheet, brush with beaten egg, sprinkle with chopped almonds, pierce in several places with a wooden stick and let stand for another 15 minutes. Bake the pie for 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 175 degrees, then reduce the temperature to 150 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes. The readiness of the dough is determined by a wooden stick: pierce the dough in the “thickest” area and if the stick remains dry, the cake is ready.
New Year - Elena Patlatia and Monika Chevelova in the studio. The topic of today's lesson is New Year - New rock
Monica, Russia recently celebrated the old New Year, let's try to figure out the calendar - calendar.
Lena, you will probably be surprised, but initially the New Year was celebrated on March 1st - 1. brezna On this day, the Roman consuls took office.
Where did the first of January come from then?
In 153 BC the consuls took office on the 1st of January - 1. ledna, and Gaius Julius Caesar adopted the first of January as the beginning of the calendar. The so-called Julian calendar - juliansky calendar- acted until 1582, after which the pope - papez Gregory 13 reformed it, and the Gregorian calendar appeared - gregorianský calendar.
However, not everyone accepted the Gregorian calendar.
Yes, for example, the Orthodox Church - pravoslavna circev The Julian calendar was never abandoned. In principle, we can say that in the Middle Ages the New Year was celebrated in different countries on different days. For example, in France they adhered to the ancient Roman calendar - starorimsky calendar and celebrated the New Year on March 1st. In other countries, March 19 was considered the beginning of the year, according to estimates, this is the day of the creation of the world - stvoreni sveta. In the Czech Republic, even before the 17th century, the New Year was celebrated on December 25 - based on the winter solstice - zimni slunovrat. Only in the 17th century the beginning of the secular year was established - občansky rok on January 1st.
Monica, but there is something mystical about saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming the new year.
That's right, some stories can only take place on New Year's Eve, remember?
In connection with the mysticism of the end and beginning of the year, there are many superstitions - povera. People, for example, believe that how they celebrate the new year is how they will spend the whole year. This is reflected in the Czech proverb Jak na Nový rok, tak po celý rok- As for the New Year, so for the whole year. Therefore, people tried to avoid quarrels hadka and carried money in their pockets. If as the first guest - host a child came to the house - ditE or a young woman mlada žena or a man muž, then in this house there will be happiness all year. However, the old woman stara žena brought bad luck into the house - smula.
Monika, we didn't talk about how the New Year is celebrated in the Czech Republic.
děda Mraz we do not have. However, the Russian "Morozko" - "Mrazik" still visits Czech houses, as the Russian fairy tale "Morozko" is very popular in the Czech Republic, which is usually shown on television on December 31 or January 1st.
New rock unlike Christmas, it is not a family holiday, it is a holiday of fun. At midnight - about pulnoci champagne flows everywhere sampanské, people throw confetti at each other - confetti, explosions of firecrackers are heard - petardy, and in all corners of the Czech Republic there are huge fireworks - ohňostroj.
Catholics celebrate Christmas according to the Gregorian calendar, that is, on the night of December 24-25. Christmas for Westerners is the most important holiday of the year. Every year on December 25, Catholics and Protestants accept congratulations and give each other gifts. Not a single relative, close or simply familiar person can remain without a present.
The holiday of Christmas is associated with the gospel story of the birth of the son of God Jesus Christ by the virgin Mary. In fact, both Catholics and Orthodox celebrate Christmas on the same day, the difference is only in the system of chronology. If Catholics celebrate Christmas according to the Gregorian calendar, then Orthodox Christians celebrate the birthday of the Son of God according to the Julian calendar on the night of January 6-7.
Catholics adhere to their traditions of celebrating Christmas. Westerners start preparing for the celebration a month in advance. The period before Christmas is called Advent. There are four of them in total and they are celebrated every Sunday. Advent includes prayers, non-strict fasting, and various charity events. During Advent, every Sunday in the church, a candle is lit on a wreath, which symbolizes the birth of the Son of God.
Christmas Eve is celebrated by Catholics on Christmas Eve on December 24th. On this day, believers adhere to a strict fast and eat almost nothing. And only after the first star lights up in the sky, Catholics eat sochivo - grains of various cereals boiled in honey. On December 25, festive services are held in churches. After the church, people go home and sit down at the table, which traditionally includes meat delicacies. The main dish of Catholic Christmas is roasted duck or turkey.
To congratulate Catholics on Christmas on December 25 is in verse or prose with a picture
Here comes Christmas again
The triumph of heavenly forces:
On this day Christ came
To save our world from evil.
Glory to Him forever
The conqueror of darkness.
Congratulations with all my heart
With this great joy.
Accept congratulations
On the bright holiday of Christmas.
Give to your loved ones
A sea of light and warmth.
Giving, we once
We will get everything a hundred times.
May everyone be happy
And rich in mercy!
On a wonderful Christmas day
I wish you magic
For white snow to fall
To be successful at work.
So that there is prosperity in the house,
To make honey only sweet
And without bitter impurities.
So that you rejoice more often
I wish you today.
I congratulate you on Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
Let the heart be filled with happiness
And comfort, smiles - home.
Congratulations, I wish you wealth.
May the Lord always help you
In a difficult moment. May joy come to you.
I wish you flourish
And let nothing interfere with you.
Realize your goals and dreams!
Let the environment be good
Let everyone respect you
And let there be more and more fun.
I congratulate you on the Catholic Christmas, on a wonderful and kind holiday. I wish you comfort in the house and in the soul, the wonderful aroma of spruce and the sincere hope of the heart, good fortune on the way and great happiness in life. May the bright star in the sky always give joy and faith, may fate be generous with gifts and good news.
Happy Catholic Christmas! I wish that in every home there was peace and tranquility, harmony and prosperity. Let miracles and wonderful events happen, filling life with delightful moments, happy smiles and kindness of human hearts. Love, well-being and prosperity!
I wish you peace in the family, comfort, family peace, true friends on the bright holiday of Christmas. May there be many joyful days in your life. Let the magic begin this night and fill your hearts with warmth! Let the winter blizzard sweep away all adversity, and let the blizzard sweep luck, love and wealth. Merry Christmas to you!
On December 25, candles are lit and lights are everywhere. Christmas is here, it's magic time. On this wonderful winter night, I want to wish you happiness, new emotions, interesting and pleasant conversations and discoveries. May this year be special, incredible, sensual and unforgettable for you. I wish you all the best, bright and amazing! Merry Christmas, with a new fairy tale and with a new life!