The 20th century was particularly painful for the Czech nation. “Victorious February” (25th Feb 1948), was a government coup and complete takeover of the communists behind the steering wheel of Czechoslovakia. Background Communism as a philosophy emerged from the turmoil of the European industrial revolution, where the ordinary people were for the first time in
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No disrespect intended, but sometimes the Czech Republic differs from what outsiders are used to in some relatively humorous ways. Wandering around the country over the years, we’ve come across some things that seem perfectly normal here, but may be apt to raise an eyebrow or earn a smirk from people who aren’t from these
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The festival of st. Nicholas is recognized across European cultures and it has greatly afflicted how Santa Claus acts in American culture now. How does it work in the heart of Europe? Well, it´s a picturesque scheme. The festival is traditionally atributed to 6th of December in western christian tradition. In the eastern orthodox calendar
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November 17 is a date of global significance. On that day in 1869, the Suez straight was open, on the same date in 1950, the 14th dalai-lama was inaugurated and in 1970 the computer mouse was patented. It is also an international day of students. For Czech people, it isn’t a celebration of liberal student life, partying
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Czechs, by their own account, are some of the least religious people in the world. Nevertheless, the long-standing tradition of All Souls’ Day is alive and well here, so to speak. Over the weekend, the country’s already-beautiful cemeteries began to blaze with the light of thousands of candles, lit in remembrance of those no longer
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In Europe, the 20th century began with the apocalyptic finale of the age of the continent’s last authoritarian empires. By the time the smoke of the First World War had cleared, the Russian czars, the German kaisers, and the Austrian emperors had been swept into the proverbial dust bin of history. In Central Europe, the
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Wenceslas I, Duke of Bohemia, was a medieval ruler who is now widely known as the patron saint of the Czech lands. Many aspects of his life and rule had the feel of a Shakespearean tragedy, from the rivalry between his pagan mother and sainted grandmother, to his premature and untimely demise. In the end,
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In the late-night hours of 20-21 August, 1968, the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic was invaded by approximately 500,000 members of the combined armed forces of East Germany, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Poland lead by – who else? – the USSR. This military incursion was undertaken by the Warsaw Pact nations in order to put a stop to
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A lot of travelers have probably experienced this situation. You just came to an entirely foreign city and you are feeling tired and confused. You withdraw the first foreign money from an ATM. Then you try to count how many euros, dollars or rubles that approximately is, but you still have a hard time estimating
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It’s Christmas. It’s time to slow down, recharge batteries and spend some time with the closest ones and have fun over some Czech traditions and superstitions! Some of them are rather weird, mysterious or heartless, some were forgotten but a few one can still witness during Christmas time in a Czech home. Before the humanking
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