A Czech Christmas
I've been in the Czech Republic for nearly a year and a half now, and I only recently realized that I have done little to describe the Czech traditions to my friends and family back home. Well, there is no better time to start than Christmas. Below, you will find a fairly extensive list of Czech Christmas (Vanoce) traditions...
No Ho Ho Ho-ing in Bohemia.
Despite popular belief, Santa Claus doesn't actually make it to all corners of the world on Christmas night. Central Europe is already spoken for... by Jesus himself. On the 24th of December (note: not the 25th), baby Jesus travels house to house (or flat to flat) and delivers the Christmas presents personally. I've asked a number of students about how the God of the Universe gets around on this holiest of nights... to which they respond simply "He flies through the window." Oh, don't act so confused, we Americans bought a story about a fat man and 9 flying reindeer for a large part of our childhoods... who are we to question Christ's ability to squeeze through the window of a 12th floor kitchen window? Regardless of His mysterious ways, Jesus arrives promptly after Christmas dinner (I'll get there in a minute) and certainly not until all of the children have gone to their rooms. Once Jesus is finished placing the goods under the Christmas tree, he rings a bell and quickly makes his exit. The children, who have been eagerly awaiting the bell in their respective rooms, then tumble into the room and the gift-opening melee commences.
The Meal.
A traditional Czech meal has four necessary parts...
- Carp
- Potato Salad
- Fish Soup (also Carp)
- Beer
Yes, you read that correctly... carp. The bottom-feeding fish that most Americans wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole is in high demand here come December. Typically the fish is fried and served with a splash of lemon juice and a wee bit o' tartar sauce.
Another aspect of the food tradition can be found in what is not eaten... and not eaten... on Christmas day. Tradition say that if a person abstains from eating meat all day on Christmas (fish is not considered meat) then at the end of the day they will see a golden pig. That's all. Just a golden pig. I don't know what he's doing, or what he has to do with Christmas... but hey, who am I to challenge tradition?
Baked Goods.
I don't have much to tell you beyond the fact that Czechs make a wide variety of sugary items during the holiday season... and they do so with a ferocity not normally seen stateside. More than a few of my students claim to make more than 10 kilograms of baked goods for family and friends annually. For those uncomfortable with the metric system, that's roughly 20 pounds.
Back to the Fish.Return with me for moment, if you would, to the aforementioned festive fish. One of my favorite Czech Christmas traditions is the way in which these fish are sold. About three days before the big day, street vendors appear on street corners and in city squares. These vendors bring with them baby pools and over-sized buckets full of carp. People show up with a cooler or plastic bag, choose their fish, and then return home. Once home, the fish is placed in the family bathtub, where it remains until it is killed on - or soon before - Christmas. Yeah, go ahead and read that again.
Superstitions
One thing that really surprised me about the Czech Christmas was the number of superstitious actions associated with it. As you read the following grocery list of said superstitions, keep in mind that most families don't actually take part in all of these activities on a regular basis, these are just the "official" superstitions... the one's that are talked about. They're like things that Czech's should do/have done, but many don't... does that make sense? I've listed them in order of most common to least common, as I perceive it.
- Cutting the Apple : An apple is cut clear down the middle by each member of the family. If the apple seeds look like a star, the person will survive the upcoming year. If the seeds look like a cross, the person will not survive the following year. Bummer.
- Pouring the Hot Lead : A piece of lead is heated over a candle or flame of some kind until it is in a liquid state, at which point it is poured into cold water. The form of the lead can then be interpreted to predict the year to come. There are plenty of books and family strategies to assist the pourer in his/her interpretation. I actually had an opportunity to do this last year with some of my adult students. My lead looked like an airplane, a guitar, and the Czech Republic. I think all this prediction stuff is over-rated. What could those things possibly have to do with my life?
- Chestnuts floating in an open bucket : Each family member places a small (one inch) candle into half of an empty chestnut shell, and places the shell into a bowl/bucket of water. Science tells us that some of the shells will group together, while others will move to the outside edge of the container. The person whose shell leaves the group will supposedly leave the family/group in the following year. Those whose shells stick together will stay together. Oh, and if your shell sinks, you will die in the coming year. Sorry.
- Throwing the Shoe : Young ladies remove one shoe, and stand with their back to an open door. Each girl throws her shoe over her shoulder towards the door. If the shoe lands with the toe towards the door, the thrower will be married within the next year. If the toe points any other direction, it will be one more year with mom and dad.