Eggs ain't just for breakfast

When we think of eggs, most of us picture breakfast - scrambled, over-easy, and my favorite, sunny-side up. Served with a side of bacon, and we're good.

But then we have Czechs. The superstitious traditionalists who believe that an egg symbolizes good luck.  New life, rebirth, marriage - all must be celebrated with an egg. Gasp, you didn't hold up an egg on your wedding day?!  Well then your marriage just wasn't properly blessed.  Who needs a minister when you can have an egg?

I came across this company Czech Eggs whole browsing the Christmas market at Columbus Circle in NYC, and I am smitten.  I must say, this would be stunning at any wedding

Now I don't need to worry about eggs getting crushed in my luggage en route home from CZ...leaving more room in my bag for Slivovice and Becherovka, yeah!

Czech Apps, Cookies, Carp...and The Golden Pig

Thank you, Tres Bohemes, for your post about what us Czechs eat at Christmas.  As my mouth waters and I wipe drool off my chin, I compose my grocery list.  Chlebíčky are on my Christmas Eve dinner table yearly.  

Now if only they'd sell carp curbside where I live....

Veselé Vánoce everyone!

PS, don't forget to take a walk after Christmas Eve dinner in search of The Golden Pig (zlaté prasátko).  Custom dictates that those who are able to fast all day and hold off on all of the deliciousness until evening will see The Golden Pig in the evening.

I say those folk have just indulged in the egg nog a wee bit...

Photo from Tres Bohemes

Our Easter Traditions Have Begun

As you may already know, we Czechs are a superstitious bunch.  I'm not talking superstitious as in don't walk under a ladder, or find a penny heads-up and you'll start seeing rainbows and unicorns will cross your path whilst pooping pots of gold.  We need to go darker here people.  Much, much darker... 

We need to go down a grim path "...or you will die."

So this joyous Easter holiday, don't worry about dying eggs in shades of crimson and gold.  Worry about not following our traditions.  Or you will die...

So I am a day late here as our traditions began yesterday with  Škaredá středa (Ugly Wednesday), also known as Spy Wednesday to remind us that it is the day that Judas betrayed Jesus.  We may or may not remember that as we are wildly busy cleaning the house from top to bottom, bottom to top, side to side, inside out.  Not a mattress is left unturned and not a rug has been left unbeaten.  Oh, and children?  They come straight home from school and help with the cleaning...

HAHHHAHAHHAHHAHAHHAHHAHAHAAHHAHAHHHHAHAHHAHAA

Ok, ok, now that I have composed myself, there is one tradition on Ugly Wednesday that we adhere to...eating honey.  It is said that if one eats honey on this day they will not be bitten by serpents.  

Guess you're shit out of luck if you didn't eat honey yesterday.  Sorry for the late notification.

Also on Ugly Wednesday, one is supposed to smile at everyone they meet.. If you don't didn't, then the entire year will be a sad one.  Again, my apologies.

But enough about yesterday, let's move on to today, better known as Zelený čtvrtek (Green Thursday).  Tonight, every boy in the neighborhood equips himself with a řehtačka (wooden rattle), looks like this:

Said boys rattle away as loud as can be to chase away Judas. Remember now, he betrayed Jesus. These noisy rattles will keep him away!  But you see, these boys will also come to your door... rattling.  Loudly.  Until you give them money.  Genius.

Green Thursday is also a day of fasting.  

HAHHAHAHHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHHHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHHAHAHAH

CZECHS DON'T FAST.

Fasting for us is not eating meat.  Thus Green Thursday, a day to eat green vegetables.  These days, green beer will do just fine.  Bring on the fasting.

It seems that men should wake at midnight and walk to the nearest brook to wash themselves in honor and imitation of Jesus.  According to legend, Jesus tripped and fell into the Brook Kidron on His way to His hearing before the high priest.

Set that alarm clock, men... and off to the nearest stream you go!

...Or you will die.

PS... whips and shots of alcohol are part of this celebration, more on that tomorrow!

Merry Christmas Eve! Have fun following our endless list of customs...

It's here!  Christmas Eve is here!

For Czechs, Christmas Eve is the big day and Christmas Day is spent relaxing, eating and drinking (we are Czech don't forget).  But today is our day to go all out and celebrate.  I myself have cleaned the home yesterday in anticipation of today, and today will be spent cooking for tonight's meal and wrapping gifts... with a cocktail in-hand, of course.

Let me share some of our traditions with you...

Czech's spend the afternoon of Christmas Eve at home with their families, decorating the Christmas tree and preparing food for the evening celebration. I have already failed my Czech traditions as I've had my tree up for well over a week now.  Tsk Tsk

Traditionally, on Christmas Eve Czechs are only allowed to eat sauerkraut soup during the day in order to see the "golden piglet". This lasts until early evening, when Christmas dinner is served around 6pm.

Um, I have failed at this as well.

A traditional Czech dinner is carp, our protein of choice, which is purchased live from sellers on the street, then either broiled or fried and served with potato salad.  

After dinner, a bell is rung signifying that Ježíšek has arrived and placed gifts under the tree.  Once all the gifts are opened, families play games, or watch christmas movies, or just have a merry time together boozing it up (err, the adults, that is). Midnight mass is attended by some.  I always mean to attend, but never quite seem to make it.  Shame!


That all being said, this is important so listen up!
Here are some Czech traditions you may want to follow...unless you want to end up dead! (not really)
 You should know by now that we're a superstitious bunch.



Christmas Dinner Customs
Disclaimer:  Very few of these are still observed today (phew).  Can you imagine sticking to them?  Although, the superstitious Czech in me is struggling at this very moment...

- No lights should be lit in the house before the first star comes out. After it does, dinner is served. - It's a cloudy day...what does that mean for tonight?  No dinner if no star??

- The table should be set for an even number of guests. An odd number brings bad luck or death.  - Great, we have three this year.  The dog will have to sit at the dinner table

- The legs of the table can be tied with a rope to protect the house from thieves and burglars in the coming year.  - Easy enough.

- No one should sit with their back to the door.

- Christmas dinner should consist of nine courses including soup, bread with honey, carp, potato salad, fruit (dried, fresh or canned), dessert (apple strudel or vánočka), and other foods.

- No alcohol should be served on Christmas Eve - GASP!!!!

- No one should ever get up from the Christmas table before dinner is finished. Doing so brings bad luck and death  in the family.

- Everyone should finish their dinner and leave nothing on the plate.

- The first person to leave the table after dinner will be the first one to die in the coming year - that is why everyone should get up from the table at the same time. - On the count of three...1, 2...

- Any leftovers from dinner (crumbs, fishbones, etc.) should be buried around the trees to ensure they will bear lots of fruit.

- All household animals should be fed after dinner so that no one goes hungry on Christmas Eve - well since the dog will be sitting at the table already...



And if that's not enough... here are some more tasks for us to do:


The Cutting of an Apple
After Christmas dinner, every person present at the table cuts an apple in half (crosswise, from the stem down).  Both halves are shown to everyone around the table.  If the core is shaped as a star, it means that everyone will get together next year in happiness and health.  A four-pointed cross is a bad omen and means that someone at the table will fall ill or die within a year.

The Throwing of a Shoe

An unmarried girl is supposed to throw a shoe over her shoulder and towards the door.  If the shoe lands with the toe pointing towards the door, the girl will marry within a year.

Fish Scales

Fish scales should be placed under Christmas dinner plates or under the tablecloth to bring wealth to the house.  Carrying a fish scale in a wallet all year will ensure that money will not run out.

The Floating of Walnut Shells

Little boats are made out of empty walnut shells and each family member places a little burning candle into a shell.  Everyone's shells are then floated in a bowl of water.  If the shell makes it across the bowl, its owner will live a long and healthy life.  A shell that sinks brings bad luck to its owner.

The Pouring of Lead

A piece of lead is melted over a fire and then poured into a container of water.  The resulting shape will tell the pourer's destiny.

After Christmas dinner, no field is to crossed until midnight mass.  He who does so will die within a year (phew, sure glad I don't live near any fields!)

A pregnant woman will know whether she is carrying a boy or a girl once the first Christmas Eve visitor enters the house.  If the visitor is male, she will have a son; female, a daughter.

He who fails to give a present on Christmas Eve will be met with poverty...

Don't be a Scrooge this Christmas!

 Certain plants, spices and foods are said to have special qualities and have been an important part of the Czech Christmas celebration throughout history.  Here are a few that should be served at Christmas:

Garlic

An essential part of Christmas that should not be missing at any Christmas dinner.  It is believed to provide strength and protection.  A bowl of garlic can be placed under the dinner table.

Honey

Honey is believed to guard against evil.  A pot of honey can be placed on the dinner table.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms give health and strength.  A traditional meal called kuba, prepared from dried mushrooms, barley, garlic, onions, and spices, used to be served as the main meal in the past.  Mushroom soup can be served before dinner.

Sheaf of Grain

A bundle of grain dipped in holy water can be used to sprinkle the house to prevent it from burning down in the coming year.

Poppyseed, peas, wheat, barley

If given to the hens on Christmas Eve, lots of eggs will be laid in the coming year.

Vánočka (Christmas bread)

Feeding a piece of vánočka into the well will ensure good quality of the water.

Apple

If the goats are given apples on Christmas Eve, their milk will be sweet.

Whoa, those sure are a lot of superstitions and traditions to follow... will you adhere or take a gamble?

Kiss Me

Today is one of the most romantic days of the year!
On the first of May, lovers are supposed to kiss under a blossoming cherry tree to ensure a year of good health.  Also, a girl should be kissed under a cherry blossom so that she will stay beautiful year round.  You hear that boys??  Kiss your girl...believe me she wants you to!


Finding a cherry tree in Prague can be difficult, so kissing under any blossoming tree will do!  

(Psssst...I'll tell you a secret... there's one at Vysehrad)

Another tradition is to meet at the statue of Karel Hynek.  Why?  Well good ole Karel was a Czech romantic poet, and today he stands on Petřín Hill.

Couples who kiss in front of his statue believe that their love will be as strong as the stone that the statue is made from.   Mácha is best known for his lyrical epic poem, Máj, which is a poem about a tragic love between two young people.  A well-known verse is:

It was late evening, on the first of May,
The eve of May was the time of love.
The turtle-dove's voice called to love,
Where rich and sweet pinewoods lay.

Máj is regarded as a classic work of Czech Romanticism, and is considered one of the best Czech poems ever written.         

                

Easter Traditions...Happy White Saturday!

Today is White Saturday (Bílá sobota), a day when boys walk through the village with rattles on until residents at each house give them money (hmmm, if only it were so easy!)

There's so much more to White Saturday though.  It is regarded, along with Zelený čtvrtek (Green Thursday), as a lucky day for sowing. The farmers place ashes on their fields to ensure a good crop, and shake the trees, so that they'll yield a lot of fruit.

White Saturday used to be a day of peace and quiet.  Daytime church services were not held at all, and services were held instead either in the evening hours after the sun went down, or after midnight.  Only blessed candles and lights were used in the church during these nighttime services.  Because of the Virgin Mary's faith in His promise to rise again from the dead, the day is consecrated to her.

Easter picture by Josef Lada

They say that if it rains on Bílá sobota, it will rain often during the coming year.  Well, it's sunny and warm where I am... yay!!!

If you're in the Czech Republic on Bílá sobota, take time to stand a while in front of the church in Domaľlice, Kyjov, Blatnice, Břeclav or Vlčnov and enjoy the ceremonial costumes of the women and girls.

It's just not Christmas without carp!

A traditional Czech Christmas dinner just wouldn't be complete without carp.  Yes, carp.  That oily fish whose relatives are popular ornamental fish.  I'm sure you've owned a pet goldfish or two in your life, and perhaps admired and fed fish in a koi pond.  Well, those are said carp's relatives.   Oh, and did I mention that it's also a bony fish?  Not just bony in the sense of a couple bones here and there.  No, we're talking we all sit down to a civilized Christmas Eve dinner, raise our glasses for the 22nd toast of the evening, and spend the rest of the meal in silence as we pick bones out of our mouths after each bite.  I've probably turned you off by now, but the thing is, we go back for more each and every year.  Why?  Because Christmas just wouldn't be the same without carp, and stranger more, because it is delicious.

Traditional Czech Christmas Eve Dinner Menu:
Vanocni Polevka Z Kapra (carp soup)
Fried carp
Baked carp aka Gypsy carp ("kapr po cikánsku")
Potato salad

Followed by dessert:

Vánočka (Czech Christmas bread that is absolutely to die for!)
Strudel
Assortment of homemade cookies

Traditional Czech Christmas dinner... fish soup (carp), fried carp and potato salad 

Right about now you'll see fishmongers with their large tubs of live carp throughout Prague and other cities in the Czech Republic.  

 In recent years, salmon and even poultry and pork-based dishes have gained popularity as viable replacements for carp at Christmas, which the younger Czechs view as too heavy a meal.  However, carp remains the undisputed favorite for most families.  Some families have tried salmon or something else one year, but they always come back to carp realizing that it's just not Christmas without carp!

'Tis the Season for Svatý Mikuláš

'Tis the season!

For those of you in NYC and the surrounding area, the Czech Center of NY will be hosting a party for children.  Get in touch with your roots or experience a Czech tradition by coming out and celebrating St. Nicholas Day!

There will be caroling, films being shown, treats, and St. Nicholas himself will be present, along with the Devil and Angel.  

Date:  Sunday, December 4

3-5 pm

Location:  371 East 73rd Street, New York, NY 10021

From the NY Czech Center's website:

Saint Nicholas Day

The charming tradition of St. Nicholas falls on the Eve of St. Nicholas Day, December 5th. It is the most popular Advent holiday celebrated in the Czech Republic. It is a special time when children receive sweets and small gifts.

On December 5th, the Eve of St. Nicholas Day, a group of three figures visit families with children: St. Nicholas, the Devil and an Angel.

Traditionally, St. Nicholas quizzed children on the prayer-book and the Bible. Today, however, the questions are mostly about the previous year's behavior. The Angel writes a record for each child in a large book and the children sing or say a poem to the saint. The Devil rattles his chains, threatening to put bad children in the sack and take them to Hell, but the Angel, with a gold star on her forehead and dressed in a white gown, protects the children. Good children receive stockings filled with tangerines, nuts, chocolates and small gifts. It is said that bad children get old potatoes or coal in theirs.

The St. Nicholas tradition is supposedly based on a 4th century Greek bishop named Nicholas who is said to have left a gift of money on the windowsill of three poor girls to enable them to get married.

This tradition is still very popular. You can see the threesome in towns and villages all over the Czech Republic, and the tradition is still quite important, whether it’s a family affair in a village or an organized event, with activities for parents too, in one of the bigger towns.

 For info visit NY Czech Center 

You are ordered to drink wine today

Oh, how we thank thee Martin, for today is St. Martin's Day and we must drink young wine!

(Well, if you say so...not that this is a difficult request)

St. Martin's Day, or the Feast of St. Martin, is a time for feasting celebrations, for it's the time when autumn wheat seeding is completed.

A Czech proverb associated with the Feast of St. Martin is this:  Martin přijíždí na bílém koni (Martin arrives riding a white horse).   The white horse represents snow, and the saying signifies that the first half of November in the Czech Republic is the time when it often starts to snow.  There used to be (and I'm sure still is in some parts of the country) a festival (posvícení) complete with roast goose as the main feast dish.  Even without a festival, many restaurants and homes will be making roast goose with red cabbage and either bread or potato dumplings.  Mmmmm....

St. Martin

And this shouldn't come as a shock... there's a legend associated with the goose!  No, make that two legends!  One legend states that the goose is eaten because geese disturbed St. Martin’s sermons, thus they are now being punished in the pan.  The other legend states that St. Martin was so modest that he hid in a goose house to avoid his appointment as bishop, but the cackling of the geese gave him away.

Another tradition (and my favorite one!) is the praise of young wine...because young wine deserves to be celebrated!  The first bottle of the new vintage is opened every year on November 11th at precisely 11 am in every wine bar and restaurant (and home) in the Czech Republic.  I wrote about young wine during Burčák

season here - and now we get to uncork those bottles.  Look out for drunk happy people!

The St. Martin’s tradition is like the French celebrations for Beaujolais nouveau, however, the Czech ritual is much older.  These celebrations date back to the times of Emperor Josef II.  It was on this day that people were able to start pouring young wine from the autumn harvest.

Emperor Josef II

I say we pop open a bottle.  I mean, it's noon somewhere, right?

Have you been whipped today?

Easter Monday (Pondělí velikonoční) is a day off, as well as the day of the pomlázka!  

In the morning, boys walk from door to door to spank girls on their legs with their whip.  The whipping is rather symbolic, you see.  The Easter whip, the pomlázka, comes from the word "pomladit", which means  "make younger" in English.  It's believed that the freshness, youth and strength of the twigs is passed to the women on this day.  Thus, every woman wants to be whipped in order to keep her health and beauty during the coming year.  Unvisited females may even feel offended, therefore it's almost a duty for all boyfriend and husbands to whip their loved ones with the Easter whip!

The boys accompany the whipping with a special Easter carol, usually asking for an egg or two.  The girls "reward" them with an Easter egg or tie a ribbon on their whip.  The more eggs or ribbons a boy has, the better.

For older boys or men, instead of eggs the "reward" is a shot of alcohol, mostly homemade brandy.  And of course, the point is to visit quite possibly all of the girls in town!  So around noon, groups of happy men can be seen in the streets singing Easter carols and chasing girls. 

But don't think the girls don't get to have any fun!  In the afternoon, they get their revenge by pouring a bucket of ice cold water on any male they wish!

This tradition is mainly practiced in villages and small towns, not so much in Prague.  But everyone in Prague celebrates Easter...girls decorate eggs and bake a special Easter cake in the shape of a lamb, and boys whip their female friends with store-brought whips.  

The moral to the story is this...

If you're a man, don't forget to whip all of the women around you, otherwise their beauty will fade away.  And trust me, no woman wants that!

It's Zelený Ctvrtek...Got Greens?

Today is Holy Thursday, aka Green Thursday (Zelený čtvrtek) in the Czech Republic.  It's a day of fasting where Catholics did not eat any animal products of any kind and only consumed one meal of vegetables.  Can you guess what kind of vegetables?  Yep, green ones, such as spinach or cabbage were eaten on this day so that one would stay healthy for the entire year.

 What's in a name?

Zelený čtvrtek (Green Thursday) was perhaps derived from the green mass chausable that was used on this day and which is still used today.  The bells "departing for Rome" were heard for the last time in church on Green Thursday.  They would then fall silent until Holy Saturday.  A superstition existed (of course it did... Czechs are such a superstitious bunch) that when a bell was rung for the last time on Green Thursday, one was supposed to jingle money so that one would hold on to it. 

 Another Green Thursday custom includes the boys' game of Chasing Judas and the baking of twisted spiral buns representing serpents, the symbol of betrayal.  

In some villages there are processions led by a captive Judas in a straw suit, which is ceremonially burnt at the end of the day.  When sprinkled into a clean jug of water, the ashes of Judas were believed to have special powers including the abilities to guard against fire and protect the health of livestock for the coming year.

In the evening of Green Thursday, village boys used to equip themselves with a wooden rattle (řehtačka), which was specially made for the purpose.  They formed a group and walked through the village, rattling their rattles vigorously so that the noise could be heard from afar.  

The meaning of the rattling may have been to chase away Judas.  The same procedure would repeat on Good Friday (Velký pátek).  The last rattling day was White Saturday (Bílá sobota), when the boys didn't just walk through the village, but stopped at every house in the morning and rattled until they were given money.

Don't be the first to get up from the Christmas Eve dinner table!!

Christmas Eve is a big night for Czechs....it's when we put up our tree, wrap gifts, and prepare and enjoy our Christmas dinner.  It's also connected with a great number of different customs, rules and superstitions - and why wouldn't it be, we're a superstitious bunch!  Very few of these are still observed today, and for good reason.  It must be quite a challenge to put dinner together and go through with it without a mistake if all of the customs were to be followed!  

Here are some of our traditions and superstitions:

• No lights should be lit in the house before the first star comes out.  After it does, dinner is served.
• The table should be set for an even number of guests.  An odd number brings bad luck or death.  An extra plate can be used to even out the number of guests.  An extra plate should also be prepared in case an unexpected guest or a person in need comes by the house at dinner time.
• The legs of the table can be tied with a rope to protect the house from thieves and burglars in the coming year.
• No one should sit down with their back to the door.
• Christmas dinner should consist of nine courses including soup, bread with honey, carp, potato salad, fruit (dried, fresh or canned), dessert (apple strudel or vánočka), and other foods.
• No alcohol should be served on Christmas Eve (gasp!!)
• No one should ever get up from the Christmas Eve table before dinner is finished.  Doing so brings bad luck and death to the family.
• Everyone should finish their dinner and leave nothing on the plate.
• The first person to leave the table after dinner will be the first one to die in the coming year - that is why everyone should get up from the table at the same time.
• Any leftovers from dinner (crumbs, fishbones, etc.) should be buried around the trees to ensure they will bear lots of fruit.

Apple strudel