Czech Christmas Eve menu

Christmas Eve (24 December) is celebrated with a one-day fast (each person who fasts shall see a little golden piggy in the evening, bringing good fortune).

In the evening, Christmas Eve dinner is served – fish soup and fried carp with potato salad. After dinner, the family gathers around a decorated Christmas tree beneath which are presents that according to Czech tradition are brought by the Infant Jesus.

Christmas carp is one of the symbols of Christmas. In the build up to Christmas, you may run across large tanks full of fish on the streets of all Czech towns and cities. When you buy a carp, you of course do not have to eat it. Instead, you can let him back into the river or pond, still in keeping with the spirit of Czech tradition.

Baking Christmas sweets is truly one of the most favoured Czech traditions. These sweets can be bought in every shop, but Czechs prefer the home-made ones. Even children like to help with the baking. The most popular Christmas sweets are vanilla rolls (“vanilkové rohlíčky”), vánočka (a sweet bread of braided dough with almonds), Linzer biscuits (“linecké pečivo”) and icing-coated gingerbread.