St. Nicholas riding the "Golden Pig" In a nation known to have one of the more atheist populations in Europe, the Czechs hold strong to Christmas traditions. There are many reasons why this statistic may hold water yet there are still many practicing Czech Christians. Somehow the majority of Czechs still find ways (religious and non-religious) to celebrate the season.
Places of worship continue to fill as Christmas Eve approaches. This anticipation brings the countdown of advent. The month-long observance begins with the Sunday of Advent when four candles are lit on the advent wreath that hangs from the ceiling.
Village Christmas trees, a tradition from their German neighbors, are presented to their respective towns in the village square. The first of the major cities to light their tree is in Olomouc, then Brno, and finally Prague.
The Feast of St. Andrew kicks things off with a game of good old fashion divination whereas a girl will cast hot lead and see in what form it takes when it cools. The form should tell her to whom she will marry.
The Feast of St. Barboras precedes St. Nicholas Day in early December and girls will take twigs off a cherry tree and hold on to them until Christmas Eve. If this branch, called a Barborkas, should bloom by Christmas Eve, the girl will find a husband the very next year.....maybe you can sense a "find a husband" theme here in these traditions.
December 5th finds St. Nicholas (mentioned in my previous blog) and his friends, the Angel and the Devil, walking through town. Children are asked to sing a song and pledge that they were good all year before receiving fruit, candy, and maybe a small toy.
December 7th is the Feast of Ambrose. Every year the town's folk of Kutna Hora have a parade of Saints’ Barboras and Ambrose. St. Ambrose rides atop a black horse carrying candy and a broom.Children will scream at him so that he will chase them and thus spill candy on the ground. If the child is caught picking up candy by St. Ambrose, he gives them a small swat with his broom.
Now, this leads us to the creepiest tradition during advent in the Czech Republic and that is the day of Saint Lucy. If you recall, Lucy was a Christian martyr during the Roman era that was executed for refusing to get married. Tradition states that on the Winter Solstice, Lucy walks the earth in a white coat and a wooden mask with a long stork-like nose. She makes a disapproving clicking sound as she approaches households that don’t follow the observance of her feast day. She will bang on your door and ask to “Sip the night away”. This is in reference to the old saying that Saint Lucy will “sip the night away but the day does not grow longer” during the winter solstice.
-Pete
Places of worship continue to fill as Christmas Eve approaches. This anticipation brings the countdown of advent. The month-long observance begins with the Sunday of Advent when four candles are lit on the advent wreath that hangs from the ceiling.
Village Christmas trees, a tradition from their German neighbors, are presented to their respective towns in the village square. The first of the major cities to light their tree is in Olomouc, then Brno, and finally Prague.
The Feast of St. Andrew kicks things off with a game of good old fashion divination whereas a girl will cast hot lead and see in what form it takes when it cools. The form should tell her to whom she will marry.
The Feast of St. Barboras precedes St. Nicholas Day in early December and girls will take twigs off a cherry tree and hold on to them until Christmas Eve. If this branch, called a Barborkas, should bloom by Christmas Eve, the girl will find a husband the very next year.....maybe you can sense a "find a husband" theme here in these traditions.
December 5th finds St. Nicholas (mentioned in my previous blog) and his friends, the Angel and the Devil, walking through town. Children are asked to sing a song and pledge that they were good all year before receiving fruit, candy, and maybe a small toy.
December 7th is the Feast of Ambrose. Every year the town's folk of Kutna Hora have a parade of Saints’ Barboras and Ambrose. St. Ambrose rides atop a black horse carrying candy and a broom.Children will scream at him so that he will chase them and thus spill candy on the ground. If the child is caught picking up candy by St. Ambrose, he gives them a small swat with his broom.
Now, this leads us to the creepiest tradition during advent in the Czech Republic and that is the day of Saint Lucy. If you recall, Lucy was a Christian martyr during the Roman era that was executed for refusing to get married. Tradition states that on the Winter Solstice, Lucy walks the earth in a white coat and a wooden mask with a long stork-like nose. She makes a disapproving clicking sound as she approaches households that don’t follow the observance of her feast day. She will bang on your door and ask to “Sip the night away”. This is in reference to the old saying that Saint Lucy will “sip the night away but the day does not grow longer” during the winter solstice.
-Pete
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