TRADITIONS
Why do young girls in Czechia throw a shoe behind their back during Christmas holidays?
Regarding this Christmas tradition, on Christmas Eve's, unmarried girls should stand in front of doors (or in the hall), take one shoe and throw it behind yourself. If the shoe falls on the ground with toe facing the door or exit, it means that girl is going to marry and leave the house. Otherwise, girl will stay at home.
Which is the most common sweet “traditional street food” that you can find in every city although it actually isn't Czech traditional food?
This food is called “trdelník”, usually presented as "a traditional Czech cake" or "the old Bohemian pastry", trdelník is mostly mentioned in literature as a Slovak or Moravian, not Bohemian dish, that is considered as tourist bait. In fact, it originally comes from Romania.
What is the minimum legal age for getting married in Czechia?
18 years old for both the bride and the groom.
However, according to the Family Law 2012 and the Civil Code the court may allow the marriage of a person aged 16-18 years in exceptional circumstances - for example a pregnancy.
What is the most played Czech song abroad?
Iconically, a polka by Jaromír Vejvoda, Škoda lásky, in English usually referred to as Beer barrel polka.
Which modern world-known word was invented by Karel Čapek?
It was word "robot", invented by writer Karel Čapek, firstly used in novel R.U.R. in year 1921.
Since when and why have people been using Easter Whip called “pomlázka” in our lands during Easter holidays?
This tradition has begun around 14th century during spring solstice (= jarní slunovrat) when men whipped their wives or girlfriends with osier in order to keep them young and fresh. Since that time, men walk around their neighbourhood with the whip and ask girls for reward by whipping and singing. They receive a painted egg, a coloured ribbon for their whip, something sweet or something strong. This tradition which seems quite controversial to foreigners symbolises forwarding of health, freshness and flexibility.
Which nations had the strongest influence to Czech cuisine? (Name one)
The major one came from Germans, who brought the roast goose, sauerkraut, and dumplings, which have since become Czech classics. Later on, around the 16th century, when Bohemia was ruled by the Austrian King Ferdinand I, the schnitzel came. And since present-day Czechia served as a crossroad to other European countries, other culinary influences arrived from Hungary, Eastern Europe, and even more areas.
Translate the following words into English.
snacha
synovec
prababička
tchán
daughter-in-law
nephew
great grandmother
father in law
Who is the author of the composition that Neil Armstrong took along during the Apollo 11 mission, the first Moon landing, in 1969?
Antonín Dvořák, the most famous Czech classical composer, wrote the New World Symphony (Symphony no.9) in 1893 while he was the director of the National Conservatory of Music of America.
What is the name of a Czechoslovak factory based in Pilsen which produced locomotives, aircraft, ships, machine tools, steam turbines, guns, trolleybuses and trams?
Škoda Works (Škodovy závody) founded by Czech engineer Emil Škoda in 1859. Currently there are many divisions of Škoda such as power, nuclear, transportation, machine tools, metallurgy and others.
When did the tradition of decorating the Christmas tree come to Czech lands?
19. century. It originally comes from Germany, 16. ct.
The tradition of Christmas, which comes from Rome from the 4th century, has been evolving and spreading eversince. We can see how it varies vastly in different cultures - who gives the gifts, when are the gifts given... so what is actually a tradition?
How many litres of beer in average did one Czech citizen drink in 2020?
150 litres of beer. Brewery in Czech lands has history with over thousand of years. It is no surprise that Czechs have won the beer consumption “race” in 2019/2020 beating such beer lovers as Germans and Austrians.
What are the official terms for the two kinds of maternity leaves a Czech parent can get when having a baby (newborn to toddler)?
The first one is "mateřská dovolená" which is usually 28 weeks long. The money one gets for it is counted from their wage. According to my research, the father can only switch with the mother on it after the baby is 6 weeks old (šestinedělí).
Then, "rodičovská dovolená" follows, taking usually something around 3 years. The maximal amount of money a parent can get from it is 300 000 crowns. The parent can be either a father or a mother.
What is the name of the Czech band that will be competing at Eurovision in 2023?
Vesna, a female group of former classmates at a conservatory. They seem to be among the favorites for winners. Their multilingual competition song My sister´s crown is officially said to be about sisterhood but would that resonate with today´s situation in Europe as much...?
Which product for everyday use was invented by Czech chemist professor Otto Wichterle?
Contact lenses, which were invented in 1961
What is the traditional Czech name for the day of Easter when Jesus Christ died?
(ex. Květná neděle, šedivé úterý..)
The Friday before Easter is called Good Friday (meaning Holy) - Velký pátek - which is the Christian day to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary.
In some other languages, it is called for example Mourning Friday, Great Friday or Holy Friday.
Can you name at least 5 weird Czech foods which sound absolutely unreal to foreigners?
-> Tartar steak – minced raw beef with raw egg yolk on top of it “tatarák”
-> Pasta with poppy seeds and sugar “nudle s mákem”
-> Pork brain with egg “vepřový mozeček”
-> Tripe soup “držťková polévka” which is made of pork or beef stomach
-> Blood soup “prdelačka” is made of pork blood during the pig slaughter season
-> Smelly cheese rings from Olomouc “Olomoucké tvarůžky”
-> jitrnice/sulc - traditional meals during the pig slaughter season which are made of unusual parts of pig's body
What was the fertility rate for Czechia in 2022?
(answer has to be rounded to ex. 2,5)
The fertility rate for Czechia in 2022 was 1.674 births per woman, a 0.48% increase from 2021.
The fertility rate in Europe was estimated to be 1.49.
https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/CZE/czechia/fertility-rate
Which well-known folk song did Bedřich Smetana most probably use as a significant theme in Vltava, the second symphonic poem in his cycle Má Vlast?
What type of audio records/media has been manufactured in Czech Republic since 1950?
Vinyl Records. The music and vocals are closer to the way artists sound live, these records are considered to have better sound as digital records.
Give a name of a custom that occurs on the Sunday two weeks before Easter.
"Vynášení smrti" is a custom that symbolically brings Winter to its end. It occurs on the "smrtná neděla", two weeks before Easter. People create a doll called Morana, the symbol of Winter, and throw it into a brook in order for her to leave them and let the spring come.
Why do we eat carp on Christmas Eve in the Czech Republic?
Carp is the traditional Czech Christmas meal found in Prague. This isn't a strange choice because fish has a religious meaning: it's eaten instead of meat on days of fasting (as fish is not considered as meat by Christians). Christmas Eve is a day of fasting and therefore carp is featured on the menu. Also, fish were eaten during winter while cattle and other domestic animals were mostly eaten during Spring and Autumn season. Carp is easy to breed and this fish has enough meat between its bones to feed an entire family, which helped it to become a popular meal.
What was the average age of a man and a woman when getting married for the first time in 2013?
The average age at first marriage increased by almost 4 years between 2000 and 2013 for both men and women. In 2013 the mean age at first marriage was 31.3 years for grooms (27.6 in 2000) and 28.5 years for brides (24.6 in 2000).
Since then the trend has not stopped. According to some resources, in 2020 it was cca 30 y.o. for females and 33 for males.
Who composed the signature tune of Praha hlavní nádraží?
Bedřich Smetana, it is a theme from the first part of "Má vlast" cycle of symphonic poems, Vyšehrad.
Originally, it is played by a harp.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otsm_0EARBY
What is the name of plastic explosive developed in the 1950s in Czechoslovakia by the chemists Stanislav Brebera and Radim Fukátko?
Semtex. It is used for military as well as commercial (demolition) purposes and unfortunately, it became very popular with terrorist groups as well.