December
Czech Traditions in December: A Month of Festivity, Generosity, and Culinary Delights
December is a time of togetherness, generosity, and indulgence in rich traditions passed down through generations. The first major event of the Czech December calendar is St. Nicholas Day (Mikuláš) on December 5th. On this night, St. Nicholas is accompanied by two contrasting figures: an angel (representing kindness and goodness) and a devil (symbolizing mischief and punishment). Together, they roam cities and villages, visiting children and asking whether they have been naughty or nice throughout the year. Children prepare a short poem or song to recite for St. Nicholas. If they have been nice, they receive small treats such as chocolates, nuts, and dried fruit. But if they’ve been naughty, they might find a potato or a lump of coal in their stocking—or worse, the devil might threaten to take them away in his sack (though this is, of course, just a playful scare tactic). The Mikuláš tradition is an exciting and slightly nerve-wracking experience for Czech children, reinforcing the idea of behaving well before Christmas while adding an element of fun to the festive season. The adults get in on the enjoyment as well, but their treats are usually of a more liquid kind.
While much of the world celebrates Christmas on December 25th, in the Czech Republic, the main celebration happens on December 24th, known as Štědrý den (Generous Day). The name reflects the tradition of giving and sharing, emphasizing generosity rather than excess, although that has been changing over the past decades. Personally, I’ve ceased exchanging any kind of gifts with my family and friends, and prefer to spend the time together over good food and drinks, and investing the money into travelling or other shared experiences.
One of the most unique Czech Christmas customs is the Christmas carp dinner. Unlike in many Western countries where roast turkey or ham is the centerpiece of the holiday meal, Czechs feast on fried carp with potato salad, preceded by Christmas fish soup (also made of carp). Well, most Czechs… I dislike carp with a passion, so our family substitutes it with “ordinary” pork or chicken schnitzel, or we opt for a white sea fish. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, live carp are sold in large barrels on street corners, allowing families to buy their fish fresh, a spectacle that pretty bewildering for most tourists in the city. Some families keep the carp alive in their bathtub for a few days before preparing it, a practice that is both amusing and nostalgic for many Czechs. A famous Czech superstition states that keeping a carp scale in your wallet will bring financial prosperity in the coming year. Many people follow this tradition, placing a scale under their plate or in their wallet as a symbol of good luck.
No Czech Christmas is complete without vánoční cukroví, a delightful assortment of Christmas cookies. Baking cookies is a cherished tradition, bringing families together in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Mothers, grandmothers, and children gather in kitchens to bake and decorate an array of homemade sweets, filling homes with the warm aroma of butter, vanilla, and spices. Nowadays, many people choose the easy option and simply buy finished cookies from pastry shops and bakeries, or alternatively buy at least the ready-made dough and then enjoy the fun part of cutting out and decorating the biscuits. Seeing as butter has become a luxury commodity in recent years, people have also scaled back on the variety.
Another must-have Czech holiday treat is vánočka, a sweet, braided bread that resembles challah or brioche. Vánočka is rich in eggs, butter, and raisins, and often flavored with almonds, rum, or lemon zest. The name comes from the word “Vánoce” (Christmas), emphasizing its connection to the holiday season. The bread has deep symbolic meaning: its braids represent unity and family, while its golden color symbolizes prosperity. Traditionally, making vánočka involves special rituals to ensure good luck.
Unlike in many countries where gifts are brought by Santa Claus, in the Czech Republic, they are delivered by Ježíšek (the Baby Jesus) on Christmas Eve. Children eagerly await the ringing of a bell, signaling that Ježíšek has visited and left presents under the tree. Czech Christmas Eve is filled with age-old superstitions and traditions. One of these is not eating until dinner; it is believed that if you fast all day, you might see a golden piglet in the evening, a sign of good fortune. I believe I am the only persons among all my friends who makes this piglet out of a lemon, year after year. It features on all my holiday cards. Because the lemons are sometimes purchased last minute, the shape isn’t always the most ideal, resulting in some rather odd-looking pigs.
Finally, there is New Year’s Eve, but we will discuss those traditions in the January blog post.
