Learn all about New Year's
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| Hello, and welcome to the Culture Class — Holidays in the Czech Republic Series at CzechClass101.com. In this series, we’re exploring the traditions behind Czech holidays and observances. I’m Michael, and you're listening to Lesson 1, New Year's. In Czech, it’s called Nový rok. |
| The New Year’s holiday in the Czech Republic is among the most eventful celebrations of the year. It begins on New Year’s Eve, also called Silvester, after St. Sylvester, whose feast also takes place on the last day of the year. |
| Now, before we get into more detail, do you know the answer to this question— |
| Do you know what place Czech people consider to be the best for celebrating the New Year? |
| If you don't already know, you’ll find out a bit later. Keep listening. |
| New Year celebrations begin in the afternoon or evening of New Year's Eve or Silvestr. While Czech people do sometimes celebrate with family, typical celebrations include a wide circle of friends and acquaintances. It’s common, for example, for people throughout the country to gather in town squares before midnight. There, everybody counts down the last seconds of the old year or starý rok and celebrates the arrival of the new one with the thunderous opening of champagne bottles and the setting off of rockets, firecrackers, and fireworks or ohňostroje. |
| The celebrations are inseparable from drink and food consumption. Typically there are all kinds of sandwiches, canapes, and other delicatessen foods. This is all crowned by the New Year's toast or přípitek at midnight when the old year ends and the new year begins. At that moment, people wish each other a Happy New Year and send out greetings by text message or e-mail. New Year's celebrations usually last until the morning hours. |
| Due to the challenging program of the previous day, many people wake up around noon. This is the ideal time for a solid New Year's resolution or předsevzetí. Popular resolutions involve giving up smoking, working out, or losing weight. Not everyone can stick with it. However, it doesn’t matter. There’s always another new year coming, and with it another opportunity for a resolution. |
| The motto for New Year's Day is "as on New Year’s, so throughout the rest of the year," or jak na Nový rok, tak po celý rok. How we spend the first day of the new year, in other words, determines how we spend the rest of the year. |
| Now it's time to answer our quiz question- |
| Do you know what place Czech people consider to be the best for celebrating the New Year? |
| As you may have learned in this lesson, Czech typically gather in city squares to enjoy the first seconds of the New Year together. |
| Well listeners, how was this lesson? Did you learn something new? |
| And how do you celebrate the New Year? |
| Leave a comment telling us at CzechClass101.com, and I’ll see you in the next lesson! |
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