I asked my husband about these traditions. He also did them as a kid but just out grew them. Perhaps we will impliment some of them for the grandchildren. :wink:
So, this year's Christmas I persuaded family to floating of walnut shells with candles. Here are a few photos: Gallery Merry Christmas, everyone!
Hi Eso, Nice pics ! Is that a real or artificial tree? The potato salad looks delish! Is that pickles and peperoni atop? Could I get the recipe, prosim, or is it super secret? Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.....!
Hi, It's a artificial tree. And on top of potato salad they are pickles and Polican salami. Reciple probably isn't secret, I will ask my mother.
Ok, according to my host parents (was an exchange student last year in Olomouc) and the Kofola commercial) :lol: The fasting on the 24th is so you can see the Golden Pig and it's supposed to bring luck for the whole year or something? I wouldn't exactly know, since I didn't make the fasting.... And if any of you were in the CR last year, Kofola had the cutest christmas themed commercial. There was a little girl and her dad (I heard it on the radio...) and she asks him "Daddy, if I don't eat all day on the 24th, i can see the golden pig right?" and he tells her, "yes honey, if you're good and don't eat all day long, you will see the special golden pig" "And are you sure it's only then?" "Yes" "But, I've already seen him! I saw the Golden Pig on the Kofola bottle!!" Oh yes....and imagine how shocked my czech friends were to find out that I don't eat Kapr for Christmas. I missed all those traditions this year. No Sv Mikulas for me :cry:
TV spot is even better: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJivC81pRDA Father: And if you manage to fast up to evening, you will see golden piglet. Daughter: And will it have these big up hooked teeth? Father: You have to fast and then even teeth will be. Daughter: I need not! I see it right now!
The entire advent period has traditionally been a period of fasting, though not as strict as is the big fast before Easter. The Church has traditionally recommendend fasting during advent as a way to brighten one's senses and to better spiritually prepare oneself for Christmas. Advent (and advent fasting) ends on Christmas Eve. Stedry den (24 December) is thus the "peak" of the advent fasting. Carp (i.e. fish) is eaten on Christmas Eve PRECISELY because it is a fast meal. Fish is generally considered as appropriate for fasting. Therefore, to fast the whole day and then stuff oneself with pork schnitzel does not make much sense. Not speaking of the funny idea that fasting is meant to empty one's stomach to be prepared for the eating orgy in the evening... OK, I know - the contemporary average Czech probably feels it like this... Of course, one should visit masses during the advent fasting - there are "rorates" every day very early in the morning, last of them served on 24 December. The "golden pig" story was, of course, used to console small children, getting hungry during the Stedry den and not yet capable of grasping the spiritual meaning of fasting. Judging from the above posts, nowadays the story is used to console clueless (adult) atheists as well.
We fasted on the 24th from the moment we woke up until 6:30 when we had our Christmas dinner. Throughout the day, we told my parents we we would love to eat (if we weren't fasting) - the list became longer and longer and more and more elaborate as the day progressed. At the end of the day my parents would calculate how much we would have spent on all the things on the list, and that amount was used to give to the poor - there used to be an elderly lady my parents often saw looking for leftovers around automat (restaurant) close to where they worked, and she would get the money from them. We never saw the golden pig, but then again, my parents never promised us that we would I remember having to have an even number of people at the table (or the "the odd person" would die within the year. Also, we floated candles, poured melted lead into ice water to guess our future from the shapes it took on and throwing shoes over our shoulder to see if the toe pointed to the door (we'd be moving out) or towards the inside of the room (staying home another year).
Hmmm, I am kinda glad we did have it. It was a very "unique" experience. I will never forget my shock when we went to Babi and Dedi's house, and my little cousin Misa made me come pet the carp in the bathtub (their names were Pavel and Petra). They weren't very tasty, though. I would prefer rizek.
too late for this year, but maybe for the next? i found this list of old christmas eve customs and traditions... - Pokud ten den něco prodáme, půjčíme nebo koupíme nebo jen sáhneme na peníze, přivodíme si neštěstí. - If you sell anything on this day, make any loans, purchase anything, or even touch money, you'll attract bad luck - Ten den nezametáme, abychom z domu nevymetli duše zemřelých předků. - Don't sweep on christmas eve, else you'll sweep out the spirits of your deceased ancestors - Rozházíme po místnosti slámu, aby nás příští rok neštípaly blechy. - Scatter hay around the room and you'll not get flea bites during the next year. - Po večeři nenecháme svoji svíčku dohořet až úplně do konce, komu se tak stane, příštích Vánoc se nedožije. - Don't let your candle burn out after the evening meal -- if you do, you won't live to see the next christmas. - Při večeři nevstáváme od stolu. Kdo vstane, potká ho neštěstí. - Don't leave the table during the evening meal -- if you do, you'll have bad luck. - Psa vystrčíme oknem na dvůr pozpátku, aby pak dobře celý rok hlídal. - Push the dog out the window into the yard backwards in order to ensure that the the house is well guarded the entire next year. - Sváteční stůl omotáme provazem, do stavení se během roku nedostane zloděj. - Wrap ropes around the holiday table - this will ensure thieves won't be able to enter - Na Štědrý den jíme houby, abychom měli štěstí v rodině, zelí, aby nás ochránilo před zimnicí, zrnka jalovce, aby nás ochránil před morem. - Eat mushrooms on christmas eve in order to ensure good fortune, cabbage to prevent chills, and juniper berries to avoid plague. - Pod ubrus na roh stolu položíme minci, aby se nás držely peníze a do peněženky si dáme šupinu z kapra, aby byla pořád plná peněz. -Place coins on the table corners under the tablecloth and a carp scale in your wallet and you'll not be short of money. - Před večeří si stoupneme bosou nohou na sekeru, abychom nedostali revma. - Before the evening meal, step barefoot on an axe and you won't be afflicted by rheumatism. - Necháme prostřít jeden talíř navíc, kdyby někdo přišel, zároveň tím vzpomínáme na příbuzné, kteří už nejsou mezi námi, ale stále u nás místo mají. -Always set one extra plate just in case you have an unexpected guest and also to symbolize your rememberance of family members who aren't around any more but are always welcome. - Před spaním si pod polštář dáme vlašský ořech a ráno ho sníme. Celý rok se nám vyhnou blechy a štěnice. - Place a walnut under your pillow and eat it in the morning - you'll not get fleas or bedbugs the next year. - O půlnoci otevřeme okna, aby mohli vylétnout ven zlí duchové -- Open the windows at midnight to let out evil spirits. best wishes for the new year
Little difficult in cities nowadays [/quote] i keep forgetting that the world is more populated by city dwellers i always have quite a supply of hay on hand - will be more than happy to ship you some kladno way next year - or anyone else that is interested.. i also have spare dogs to lend out ... my mother grew up close to kladno - in svermov - it's almost part of the city today??
Well, we live on the seventh floor - do you have many dogs? ;-) It's officialy part of city from 1980. (MAP) My grand-grand parents lived there.
:lol: :lol: :lol: I love this one. Especially with a little dog and watch him land in a pile of cold snow. How fun would that be! :lol: Of course the window would have to be close to the ground or it wouldn't be funny, just messy. :twisted:
I work for the Girl Scouts in the U.S. We are teaching girls about New Year's traditions around the world. I am a 3rd generation Czech-American, and have no recolection of any New Year's activities. Are there any food, game, craft traditions?
we used to have to eat a spoonful of cooked lentils. It was meant to ensure wealth for the coming year (I guess lentils are the same shape as "dukaty", something equivalent to silver dollars).
Most of our Czech friends make a pot of lentils on New Years Day. They have to get them from the nearby Polish store. They tell me every year that we are not rich because I don't make lentils.
