Traditions of Prague
A city of a hundred spires, whose Easter markets, Christmas carp and astronomical clock keep old Bohemian custom.
Prague has been the capital of the Czech lands for a thousand years, and its Old Town has an astronomical clock whose figures move on the hour. Czechs keep a series of seasonal customs, such as the burning of a witch at the end of April and the gift giving on Christmas Eve, with a carp from the market.
Easter, witches and Christmas carp
At Easter, boys braid willow whips, pomlázka, and playfully strike girls, who offer eggs and sweets in return. On Filip's Night, 30 April, bonfires burn witches made of straw. In December, live carp are sold in tubs on the streets and cooked on Christmas Eve with potato salad.
At the table
Svíčková, beef in a creamy vegetable sauce with dumplings, goulash and roast pork with sauerkraut are classics. Trdelník, a sweet roll, is sold in the Old Town. Czechs drink more beer per head than any other nation, and pilsner was first brewed in Plzeň. Mushroom picking is a national hobby.
Signature traditions of Prague
Also part of it, and being written: Pomlázka (The Easter whip.), Prague astronomical clock (The clock.), Svíčková (The beef dish.), Christmas carp (The tradition.), Czech beer (The beer.).
A trail idea for Prague
- Old Town Square See the clock strike the hour.
- Havelská Market Taste local produce.
- Karlštejn A castle outside the city.
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, markets and festival dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
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Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Sinulog Festival: Herbert Kikoy, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mass games: photo: unknown file: James Steakley, Public domain, source
- Novena: Catedrales e Iglesias/Cathedrals and Churches, CC BY 2.0, source
- Statue rubbing: Matthias Rosenkranz, CC BY-SA 2.0, source