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Room Three

Museum of Czechoslovakia

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Umístění (Location)

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Jídlo (Food)

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Holidyas (Holidays)

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Oděvy (Clothing)

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The national flag of the Czech Republic (Czech: státní vlajka České republiky) is the same as the flag of the former Czechoslovakia. The author of the flag is Jaroslav Kursa (1875–1950), an archivist of the Department of Home Affairs, as the original author of the present flag appearance. The flag contains red and white colors derived from the ancient Coat of arms of Bohemia; because the flag was almost identical with the Polish flag and had the same colors as the Austrian flag, a blue wedge was added in 1920 (The version without the wedge is identical to the flag of Bohemia).

Flag

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Czech republic is located in Central Europe, between Germany, Poland, Slovakia, and Austria.

Map

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Prague is the capital city of Czechoslovakia. Coordinates: 50° 5" North, 14° 28" East.

Capital

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The weather in Czechoslovakia is temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters.

Winter

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Traditional Czech food consists of pork or beef meat with sauce and a side dish, the most common and liked being dumplings. Dumplings (“knedliky”) are the Czech traditional side dish made from wheat or potato flour, boiled in water as a roll and then sliced and served hot.

The Main Course

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The most appreciated Czech soups (polévka) are onion (Cibulačká, read “tsibulachka”) and garlic soup (Česneková polévka, read “Chessnekova polevka”), but the speciality for Christmas is the fish soup (Rybí polévka), made out of Carp, the Czech traditional Christmas delicacy.

Soup

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Famous are the Czech Pancakes (Palačinky – read “Palachinky”), filled with ice-cream, jam or fruits and coated in whipped-cream, almonds or sugar.

Dessert

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On the evening of April 30th, Czechs gather to build a bonfire and prepare an effigy of the witch that kept winter around so long. Czechs used to believe that the power of witches would weaken as the weather got warmer. So they thought that if they made something that looked like a witch and burned it, they could finally get rid of the cold weather. First, they tie two large sticks together to form a cross. Then they stuff old shirts, pants and socks with straw and place a pointed hat on the top of the stack. The witch is tied to a broomstick and set aside until darkness falls. When the fire is roaring, people roast sausages on sticks, strum guitars, and sing their favorite songs. Everyone looks forward to nightfall, when they will face the spirits of the witches. As soon as it's dark, the effigy of the witch is brought out and held up for all to see. Then, with a heave of the arm, it is thrown on top of the bonfire. As the witch burns, so does the last of winter's chill.

The Burning of the Witches April 30th

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On May 1st, couples gather at the statue of Karel Hynek Mácha, the Czech Romantic "poet of love", in Prague's Petřín Park where they lay flowers and spend a few moments. The park is a particularly romantic place in May when its cherry trees are in bloom. Since May 1st is a national holiday in the Czech Republic, lots of people come to Petřín for a stroll if the weather is nice.

The Day of Love May 1st

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The charming tradition of St. Nicholas falls on the eve of St. Nicholas Day, December 5th. If you find yourself walking the streets on that evening, you may run into a group of strange characters: St. Nicholas (Mikuláš), the Angel (anděl) who represents the Good, and the Devil (čert) representing the Evil. All wear costumes. Mikuláš looks a bit like Santa Claus whose origin was supposedly inspired by St. Nicholas. All three characters walk the streets, stopping children and asking them if they were good in the past year. Most kids say yes and sing a song or recite a short poem. They are then rewarded with sweets, candy or other treats, which are handed out by the Angel. Bad kids would be put in the Devil's sack and taken to hell, or would only get a sack of potatoes or coal instead of candy - of course it does not really happen!

St. Nicholas Tradition

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The National Dress ("Kroji") of each village in Czechoslovakia will vary. The Czech woman's clothing is a white blouse with very full color. The skirt is a solid, dark color. The bodice vest will probably be black. All items are heavily embroidered with cutwork and trim. The cap has a very large bow in back. The Moravian clothing for women is a white blouse with very full sleeves which may be pleated. The apron is a dark, and sometimes white, material which is heavily embroidered with colorful cutwork. Flowers are worn in the hair with very long ribbon streamers and the cap has colorful embroidery on it, with perhaps a brim. The Slovakian women wear white blouses with very full sleeves and the embroidery is of many colors and much cutwork. Their caps are decorated with small flowers and short ribbons. Sometimes their skirts are of print fabric. The vest will be of a bright color with heavy trim. Sashes are worn over the apron.

National Dress

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The bonnets or caps say that the girl is married. If she wears flowers in her hair, then she is singe and ready for 'picking'. Long plumes of feathers in a man's cap indicate he is single; but, if the feathers are short, then he has been 'plucked' and is married.

Head Wear

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Czech traditional costumes are often beautifully embroidered. Because so many regions of the Czech Republic have their own traditional folk costumes, it is difficult to generalize what represents typical Czech dress

Embroidery

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