Strange Czech Christmas Traditions

We Czechs (Bohemians, Moravians and Slovaks) have several passed-down and traditional Christmas superstitions and some are just as well known in other parts of the world as they are in the Czech Republic. Czech people believe that certain foods and herbs can serve to tell the future and predict the year ahead. Around Christmas time, these specific predicting activities have been celebrated by...

CULTURE, Holidays

December 14, 2016

Flashback to Christmas In Prague

Flashback to 1937, 1964, and 1965 and what Christmas time looked like in Prague. We begin our glimpse into the past with Christmas trees. Fortunately, the narrator explains in this short video that shows the tree chosen for Old Towne Square. Well, this year it didn’t snow, but it looked foggy and chilly nonetheless. And...

CULTURE, Holidays

December 12, 2016

DIY Lucky Czech Walnut Shell Candles

Czech walnut shell candles are known all over in the Czech Republic as a typical Christmas tradition and decoration. Known for attracting good energy, luck, and fortune, Czechs believe that they can even tell your future! Near Christmas time, Czechs will make these sweet little candles out of hollow walnut halves and on Christmas eve,...

CULTURE, Holidays

christmas-market-old-town-square-tres-bohemes

December 9, 2016

The Christmas Market at Old Town Square

One of the best things about visiting Prague in the Winter are The Christmas Markets. Christmas Markets are set up throughout the city every year in late November and usually remain open till Early January. The largest Christmas Market in Prague is held in the historic Old Town Square, home to the famous Prague astronomical clock,...

CULTURE, Holidays

the-tradition-of-svaty-mikulas-tres-bohemes-3

December 5, 2016

The Tradition of Svatý Mikuláš

In the Czech Republic, the Mikuláš tradition is almost as big of a deal as Christmas, which is celebrated on December 24th in the Czech Republic. The famous Czech Advent tradition, which is called Svatý Mikuláš in Czech, takes place on the eve of his name day (Czech: svátek) on December 6th. The pre-Christmas celebration...

CULTURE, Holidays

November 17, 2016

Why November 17th is The Date of Two Czech Holidays

On this day in 1939, all the universities and colleges in Prague closed. 1,200 Czech students were arrested, and nine students and professors were executed. November 17th has since been known as International Students’ Day. On the 28th of October in 1939, the Medical Faculty of Charles University held an anti-Nazi demonstration to commemorate the...

History, NOSTALGIA

November 11, 2016

Traditional Crafts at the Castle Šelmberk

Today we stepping back in time to look at traditional crafts at the Castle Šelmberk near Mladá Vožice. This was the ninth year for this event and each year it grows more popular and has a greater attendance meaning that people are gaining interest in their history and the old fashioned arts and crafts. During the...

Czech Republic, PLACES

November 2, 2016

All Soul’s Day in the Czech Republic

November 2nd is All Souls’ Day in the Czech Republic. Czechs call this day dušičky (“little souls”) but the official Czech name is Památka zesnulých (“a remembrance of those who have passed”). While some folks compare this to Halloween (All Hallow’s Eve), the two really have little in common. Halloween activities include trick-or-treating (or the related guising),...

CULTURE, Holidays

September 29, 2016

The Czechs of Masaryktown, Florida

On our last visit south, we visited Masaryktown, Florida. We had heard there was a vibrant Czech community there and a Czech hotel and restaurant. But when we arrived, all that it seems remains are the Czech street names, the hotel building and a sign that briefly touches on the history of this once vibrant community. The...

LIFESTYLE

September 28, 2016

St. Wenceslas Day

Today is September 28th, better known as St. Wenceslas Day. It is a National Holiday in the Czech Republic. This holiday is always celebrated on the 28th of September and, is also known as ‘Czech Statehood Day’. It has been a public holiday since 2000. It is the feast day of St. Wenceslas, the patron...

Holidays, LIFESTYLE

August 24, 2016

The First Czech in America

The first Czech in America, Augustine Heřman arrived in New Amsterdam, now New York, in 1640. One of the first permanent settlers of Czech descent in America, he traded tobacco and furs, quickly becoming the largest exporter of tobacco in America. He became wealthy quickly and soon became the owner of considerable real estate. By...

LIFESTYLE

August 6, 2016

The Father of Modern Education

The title, father of modern education, is attributed to Jan Amos Komensky, also known as John Amos Comenius. He was born on March 28, 1592 in Nivnice, Moravia (which is now part of the Czech Republic) and he died on November 15, 1670. From the persecution and hardships he suffered in his life, he came...

Men, PEOPLE

July 26, 2016

Camping at Rabštejn nad Střelou in 1966 aka Ravenstone

Rabštejn nad Střelou (Raven stone over bullet or missile in English or Rabenstein in German) is a part of the city of Manětín, located in the Plzeň (Pilsen) district. It is an old historic town on the river Střela about 30 kilometers north of Pilsen. Today, I am sharing some memories of camping at Rabštejn nad...

LIFESTYLE, Tramping

July 14, 2016

Stará Aerovka – Czech Aviation Museum Complete with Hangars

Stará Aerovka is a Czech Aviation Museum complete with hangars, a unique complex representing not only the architecture showing the beginning of Czechoslovak aviation, but also the development of aircraft technology during WWII. At this single location it’s possible to see uniquely preserved buildings, typical for Central European airport structural engineering of the 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, and...

LIFESTYLE

July 12, 2016

Back in Time to Charles University Students of 1948

Last week we posted about the esteemed professors at Charles University in 1948. Today we wanted to share a little about student life. LIFE Magazine photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt went to Czechoslovakia in 1947 and he captured the images of some students at Prague’s Charles University. The photographs accompanied an article in LIFE Magazine on January...

Czech Schools, LIFESTYLE

July 11, 2016

Czechoslovakia 1968: The Award Winning Documentary

Czechoslovakia 1968 is a short documentary film about 50 years of history of Czechoslovakia, composed entirely of sepia toned archival footage. It was produced in 1969 and it focuses primarily on “Prague Spring”, also known as the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia. A virtually wordless visual history of Czechoslovakia from 1918 to 1968, it is a collection of images...

ENTERTAINMENT, History, Movies