Happy Name Day, Zora! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Zora.  Happy name day, Zora!

The name Zora is of Slavic origin and means "dawn or sunrise".

Happy Name Day, Běla! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Běla.  Happy name day, Běla!

The meaning of this name is not known for certain. It could be derived from a Slavic word meaning "white" or a Hungarian word meaning "within".  This was the name of four Hungarian kings.

Happy Name Day, Ilona! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Ilona.  Happy name day, Ilona!

The name Ilona is of Hungarian and Greek origin and means "light".

Happy Name Day, Doubravka! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Doubravka.  Happy name day, Doubravka!

The name Doubravka is of Slavic origin and means "oak grove".

Happy Name Day, Vladislav! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Vladislav.  Happy name day, Vladislav!

The name Vladislav is of Slavic origin and mean  "to rule with glory".

Happy Name Day, Drahaslava! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Drahoslava.  Happy name day, Drahoslava!

The name Drahoslava is the feminine form of Drahoslav, which is derived from the Slavic elements dorgu meaning "precious" and slav meaning "glory".

Happy Name Day, Ctirad! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Ctirad.  Happy name day, Ctirad!

The name Ctirad is of Slavic origin and means "honor, care".

Happy Name Day, Alice! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Alice.  Happy name day, Alice!

The name Alice is of Old German origin and means "noble, exalted".  It's a variant of the Old French name Adeliz.  The name Alice was made famous by the heroine in Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" (1865) and "Through the Looking Glass" (1872), who was based on his child friend Alice Lidell, daughter of the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford.

Alice Lidell, age 7

Happy Name Day, Radovan! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Radovan.  Happy name day, Radovan!

The name Radovan is of Slavic origin.  The name is derived from "rad", meaning care, joy. It can be translated as "the joyful one".  The name is mainly used in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia and Croatia.

Happy Name Day, Pravoslav! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Pravoslav.  Happy name day, Pravoslav!

The name Pravoslav has its origins in the Slavonic language and is used mainly in Czech.  The meaning of Pravoslav is "righteous glory".

"A night out in Prague, in the early 20th Century"

Picture it...

Saturday night, 1914, and you're getting ready for an evening on the town.  What would you be wearing?

© Gabriel Urbánek, Ondřej Kocourek (UPM)

A Hanna Podolská evening dress

Here's your chance to find out exactly what you might be wearing.  The Museum of Decorative Arts is exhibiting Prague's Fashion Houses 1900-1948.  CZECHPOSITION.COM has a great article entitled "A night out in Prague, in the early 20th Century".

Happy Name Day, Bohdana! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Bohdana.  Happy name day, Bohdana!

The name Bohdana is of Slavonic origin and means "given by God".

Pantless Prague

Someone asked me why people were riding the metro without pants on Sunday...here you go!

For more info, here's the article from CZECHPOSITION.COM

Dozens of Czechs join in global ‘pantsless’ subway prank

As part of ‘No Pants Subway Ride’ prank, young Czechs on Sunday dropped their trousers while riding the Prague metro

SOCIETY                                                                                                                   Brian Kenety | 09.01.2012

© Improv Everywhere

People from 27 countries, including the Czech Republic, took part on Sunday in the 11th annual “No Pants Subway Ride” — a kind of flash mob-style happening that was the brainchild of the New York group Improv Everywhere, which takes pride in “causing scenes of chaos and joy in public spaces.”

According to local press reports (see the iDNES.cz photo gallery here), about two dozen young people traveled through the Prague metro from the stations of Muzeum and Florenc on Sunday wearing no pants (in the case of the four young women who took part, they donned ultra- miniskirts).

The pranksters had met at the Wenceslas Square and took to the underground with a banner reading “no pants, no problem.” Some of the young men made a point of wearing comical boxer shorts.

In New York, an estimated 4,000 people of all ages took part in the prank, according to Improv Everywhere, which said the event — organized through Facebook and other social media — was staged in 59 cities in 27 countries.

© YouTube The story of the first No Pants Subway Ride in 2002 in New York City (refresh your browser if video isn’t visible)

Happy Name Day, Břetislav! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Břetislav.  Happy name day, Břetislav!

The name Břetislav is of Slovak origin and means "noisy glory".

Happy Name Day, Vladan! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Vladan.   Happy name day, Vladan!

The name Vladan is a short form of Slavic names beginning with the element volod/vlad meaning "to rule, ruler". 

Happy Name Day, Čestmír! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Čestmír.  Happy name day, Čestmír!

The name Čestmír is of Czech origin and means "fortress".

Happy Name Day, Vilma! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Vilma.  Happy name day, Vilma!

The name Vilma is a form of Wilma, which is the short form of Wilhelmina, which is of Old German origin and means "will, helmet, protection".   German settlers introduced the name Wilhelmina it to America in the 19th century.

A very famous Wilma...

Svátek Tří králů - Three Kings Day

This past week I really hated seeing Christmas trees already stripped of decorations, removed from their homes, and just sitting curbside awaiting pick-up.  Seriously, the day after Christmas the streets were littered with discarded trees!  It makes me sad really that people are so eager to end the holiday, and even sadder yet that they didn't wait until the last day of the 12 Days of Christmas to take their tree down.  That last day being today.

The Twelfth Night of Christmas is always on the evening of January 5th, but the Twelfth Day can either precede or follow the Twelfth Night according to which Christian tradition is followed.  Twelfth Night is followed by the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th. In some traditions, the first day of Epiphany (January 6) and the twelfth day of Christmas overlap.

In the Czech Republic, today is known as Svátek Tří králů, Three Kings Day.  The Three Kings, Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar, also known as wise men from the east, saw a bright star on the night that Christ was born. They followed it to Bethlehem and met the baby Jesus, to whom they gave three gifts:gold, myrrh and frankincense.  Based on Biblical stories, the three kings represented three life stages - history, presence, and future (young, middle-aged, and old king).  The oldest man also had a dark face that represented the shadow of death.

Did you ever see "K+M+B" written on a door or over a doorway?  Usually in chalk, sometimes followed by a year?  Well, if you have the three letters are the initials of the Three Kings and it shows that they've been to visit, but the inscription also stands for Christus mansionem benedicat (Christ bless this house), and is intended to wish health and luck on the occupants for the coming year, which is why the chalk is left up even when Three Kings Day is over.

Today, tradition has evolved to one of collecting for charity.  You may come upon youngsters dressed as K+M+B and if you do, spare them some change, it's for a good cause and keeps an old local tradition alive.

As if it's not cold enough...

But hell, if it's cold you may as well surround yourself with ice, snow, and even more ice right here in Prague at our very own ice bar!  Good thing cocktails will warm you up...

Cloud 9 Sky Bar & Lounge at the Hilton Hotel will be holding it's Ice Bar Opening Party tomorrow, Friday, January 6th.  Don't miss your chance to experience a bar made entirely of ice!  The view from the Hilton's terrace is spectacular, and you'll also get to taste and enjoy Slovakia's Double Cross Vodka, as they're holding their official launch at this event, too.  

Even better, Lime & Tonic has a special offer to attend this event.  Tickets are normally 2000kc, but through Lime & Tonic they're only 1,390kc, and every purchase helps to support tree planting.  There's also an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet included, and of course all-you-can-drink Double Cross Vodka cocktails.

As they say in Slovakia, na zdravie, and as we say in Czech, na zdraví!

Happy Name Day, Dalimil! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Dalimil.  Happy name day, Dalimil!

The name Dalimil is of Czech origin and is derived from the Slavic elements dal meaning "far away" and mil meaning "gracious, dear".

Happy Name Day, Diana! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Diana.  Happy name day, Diana!

The name Diana is of Latin origin and means "divine".  In mythology, Diana was an ancient Roman divinity who came to be associated with the Greek god Artemis.  Noted for her beauty and fleetness, Diana is often depicted as a huntress.  The name has been used since the 16th-century, and was popularized by the late Princess of Wales.

Luxurious Prague

Ideeli Travel has a great offer on accommodations at the luxurious Augustine Hotel located in the historic and uber-charming section of Prague known as Malá Strana.  To view the offer, visit ideeli travel 

During your stay, don't forget to visit The Brewery Bar, located in the cellar of the former St. Thomas Brewery.   Off of the beer tasting menu be sure to sample St. Thomas Dark Lager 14˚ -  a beer brewed especially for the Augustine Hotel.

Happy Name Day, Radmila! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Radmila.  Happy name day, Radmila!

The name Radmila is a variant of Radmilla, which is of Slavic origin and means "industrious for the people".

Happy Name Day, Karina! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Karina.  Happy name day, Karina!

The name Karina is of Scandinavian origin and a variant of the name Katherine, which is of Greek origin and means "pure".

Šťastný nový rok 2012!