Czech holidays

Christmas in Christian tradition is a celebration of the birth of baby Jesus. In Czech Republic Christmas Eve is the most important feast day of all the holidays. In the morning a Christmas tree is decorated. Vegetable (lens or cabbage) soup is usually served for lunch as Christmas is time to fast. In the evening the family gathers together to have traditional dinner that consists of fish sop and carp fillet with potato salad. After dinner children await the ringing of the bell that announces little baby Jesus has come to visit them and left presents under the tree. People often go to midnight mass on Christmas Eve. The 25^th December is not as important day as in English-speaking countries where children receive their presents.     Easter is the most important Christian holiday celebrated on April. It commemorates resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus was crucified on the cross on Good Friday and came back to life on Easter Sunday. In the Czech Republic Easter is a mixture of Christian and pagan traditions. On the morning of Easter Monday, boys and men whip girls and women to make sure they stay healthy for the rest of the year. As a reward girls treat them with hand-painted eggs. The egg is a symbol of fertility and new life.     The International Worker’s Day is celebrated on 1^st May. Nowadays it become a day of love when lovers kiss under blooming cherry trees if in Prague go and pay tribute to K. H. Mácha, the poet of everybody in love.     On 8^th May Liberation Day is celebrated. It celebrates the end of WW II in Europe. Prague was liberated in the morning on 8^th May, 1945 by the Soviet army.     On 5^th July Saint Cyril and Methodius Day is celebrated. We remember the two brothers who brought Christianity to Central Europe.     On 6^th July Jan Hus Day is celebrated. Jan Hus was a priest and reformer who blamed Catholic representatives for unholy behaviour. On 5^th July 1415 he was burned at the stake in Kostnice for his criticism of church.     On 28^th December St. Wencelas Day is celebrated. It is the day when the whole nation remembers the main patron saint of the Czech state. Wenceslas was one of the early Premyslid dukes of Bohemia. He is the first Czech ruler to suffer a martyr’s death and many legends were created about him.     Independent Czechoslovak State Day is celebrated on 28^th October. On this day the Czechoslovak state declared independence at the end of the WWI. The first president became T.G. Masaryk.     On 17^th November Fight for Freedom and Democracy Day is celebrated. It is a day when we remember very important milestones from our history. In 1939 Czech students demonstrated against the occupation of Nazis. In reaction, Czech universities were closed by the Nazis on November 17. In 1989 the Velvet Revolution started as a student demonstration against the communist regime.