Mysterious Christmas customs

Christmas, whether as a celebration of the solstice or the birth of Jesus Christ, typically was a time of contemplation on what the future has in store for us.

It is therefore connected with a number of customs by means of which our ancestors hoped to ensure a bright future. Many of these are still observed today. What awaits you in the next year is decided – according to old customs – by lead casting or apple cutting. If the shape of a star appears inside the apple after slicing it in half, you can expect sweet tomorrows. If you want to have more money next year, do not forget to put a carp’s scale under your Christmas dinner plate. The bravest among us may fast the whole day and perhaps see a golden piglet. If you wish to keep your family together, tie the legs of the table with a chain. If you want to get married, toss a shoe over your shoulder – if the toe is pointing away from you, your wish will be granted. Under no circumstances should you have poultry for the festive dinner, as luck would then desert you.

Czech Christmas music
Christmas in the Czech Republic also means listening to Christmas and Advent melodies. Czech Christmas is inherently connected with the Czech Christmas Mass by Jakub Jan Ryba, Czech composer from the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. On 25 December, you will have the opportunity to listen to the Czech Christmas Mass played by the Prague Chamber Orchestra in the Church of St. Simon and St. Jude on Dušní Street in Prague. The Prague State Opera also performs classical Czech Christmas pieces for its audiences. The Kühn Children’s Choir will sing songs from the works of Bohuslav Martinů, Vítězslav Novák, Zdeněk Lukáš, Petr Eben and Václav Trojan.

Carp and the Infant Jesus
The Christmas Eve menu and Christmas Day festivities receive great attention long in advance. Women bake Christmas sweets several weeks ahead. Lunch on Christmas Eve is usually simple, and some will even fast to see the golden piglet. In some Czech families, people have lentils for lunch as the tradition is it will improve their financial situation, while in others an Old Czech meal called “kuba” made of groats and mushrooms is served. After lunch people go to church to receive the eternal light and bring it home in little lanterns, and carols are often sung in the squares.
The holiday dinner consists of South Bohemia-style fried carp with potato salad. In some households, fish soup is served before the main course. After the carp is finished, the Infant Jesus usually comes with gifts. He always announces his arrival by ringing a bell but then quickly disappears. Czech people thus open gifts in the evening on 24 December. Some families then go to church for midnight mass. The following festive days are marked by visits to relatives and friends.