Day 21 of Advent: Veselé vánoční hody

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without carols. While many people prefer modern Christmas songs, it’s usually the traditional carols people prefer to sing. After all, they are usually much less difficult to sing as they – at least in most cases – don’t require large vocal range and good singing skills. Not everybody can, for example, manage to sing the main song from Tři oříšky pro Popelku. So it is no wonder that the carol Veselé vánoční hody is one of the most popular ones in the Czech Republic.

Day 17 of Advent: Foretelling the Future

If someone told you that there is a famous poem about Christmas Eve you’d probably think that it must be some warm story about a beautiful snowy Christmas. If that’s the case then I have to disappoint you. The poem “Christmas Eve” (“Štědrý den” in Czech) was written by K. J. Erben, and it’s a dark tale about foretelling the future on Christmas eve. But don’t worry, the actual tradition is much less gloomy.

Day 14 of Advent: Good King Wenceslas

As some of you surely know, “Good King Wenceslas” is a popular British Victorian carol. Whether you have already known this fact or just now learnt about it, you are probably wondering what it has to do with Czech Christmas. Truth be told, this carol is not sung in the Czech Republic, yet there is a significant connection to the country’s history.

Day 12 of Advent: Narodil se Kristus Pán

There are many beautiful Czech carols but only very few of them have such an interesting story behind them as the carol Narodil se Kristus Pán. To be honest, it is usually because most of them are folk carols which means that their (hi)story is difficult to trace. Narodil se Kristus Pán is, however, an exception to this rule. There are actually some facts about this particular song that even Czechs are often completely unaware of. 

Day 11 of Advent: Brilliant & Eco-Friendly DIY Ideas for Christmas

When Christmas is mentioned, what’s on your mind? Christmas trees with lights and Christmas ornaments, colourful candles, wreath and nicely packed gifts. Those are on my mind and I’m sure you must think of something similar as well. What makes Christmas feel so different to other days? I would say it’s the decors. If there’s no decoration, there is no Christmas vibe!

Day 10 of Advent: Hot Wine

Is this your first year to spend Christmas time in the Czech Republic? Or, have you already been at Christmas markets in the country or in other European countries before? If so, you must notice this special drink, Christmas hot wine. It’s like a pop star at every Christmas market. People are drinking and chatting around the place where it is sold so you never miss it.

Day 3 of Advent: A Universal Recipe of Linzer Cookies

Linzer Cookies are named after the city of Linz, Austria and making Linzer cookies is definitely one of the most famous Christmas traditions. However, when you are trying to find a recipe online, you will get hundreds of different ones. Some of them are too complicated to gather your strength and start baking, while some of them are so simple that you start to wonder if the result will taste good.

Day 2 of Advent: Advent Wreath

Christmas wreaths are a common part of Christmas celebrations in most countries, but do you know what each of the four candles symbolizes? Can there actually be more than four candles? Where did this tradition come from? Or how you can make your own advent wreath? Don’t worry, all of these questions will be answered in this article.