Czech Republic is an unforgettable country. Literally at first sight, it captivates the hearts of tourists with the beauty of its cobbled streets, the light of gas lamps and majestic architecture. Once I have been here, I want to return here again and again. Another interesting moment for tourists in the Czech Republic, which you can not briefly tell about is its culture, traditions and customs, the mentality of the population as a whole.
Czechs in everyday life
Czechs - the personification of sedentariness, dimensionality, consistency and tranquility. These people never hurry up in their actions, do not show aggression and are extremely hospitable and hospitable to tourists. The main features of the culture of this people are:
- A family. The Czechs give it the upper hand, often preferring it to work. In children from a small age, they cultivate respect for the elders, in indulging the whims it is considered an unacceptable norm of behavior. One of the national traditions of the Czech Republic, closely associated with the veneration of the family, is a weekly Sunday dinner, followed by all relatives.
- Rest . The Czechs are one of the few nations that can boast of a balance between work and leisure. They plan their leisure well in advance, while they like to travel - public parks and public gardens on weekends are often empty.
- Religious preferences. The most widespread religion in the Czech Republic is Catholicism. However, among local residents, more and more adherents of such trends as atheism and agnosticism. Most of the population speaks Czech, and only a small fraction speaks Slovak, Hungarian, German and Polish. However, English is understood here well.
- Society. A feature of secular culture in the Czech Republic is also the fact that demonstrating one's wealth and boasting of expensive things is considered bad form. Of course, with you will still be polite, but the desire for close communication and the beginning of friendly relations will disappear.
Art in the Czech Republic
In many spheres of art the Czech Republic is at its best. The main features of this sphere of life in the country are as follows:
- Cinema. Czech Republic is well known in the cinema thanks to the films "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" by Milos Forman and "Amadeus", which was awarded an Oscar in 8 different nominations. In terms of music, this country also does not lag behind: it's not for nothing that the saying "Every Czech musician" was invented. Since May 1946, the annual music festival "Prague Spring" has been held here, in which jazz, punk and classical performers take part. The most famous composer on the Czech expanses is Antonín Dvořák.
- Theater. It is an important component of Czech culture. Puppet shows are very popular here. In addition, the unique show of its kind is given by the Laterna Magika Theater: there is a screen on the stage, to which an image or video is broadcast, in the course of which the actors win back here or another scene, sometimes expressing themselves solely with gestures. By the way, in Prague there are a lot of theaters - traditional, puppet and so-called " black " ones.
- The architecture of the Czech Republic has always been above all other aspects of cultural development. Sometimes there is a feeling that this country is like an open-air museum. It collects architectural creations of a wide variety of styles and eras: from Romanesque, Baroque, Rococo and Classicism to modernism and other modern trends. The castles in the Czech Republic alone are about 2500!
Traditions and customs in the Czech Republic
Among the calendar holidays in the Czech Republic are very fond of Christmas, slightly less - New Year, linking them with several unchanged traditions. On Christmas Eve, on the evening of December 24th, the whole family gathers at a festive table serving potato salad, chicken and pork schnitzels and carp, and after a meal they ring the bell and call the Jerzy, the local Santa Claus, who promises gifts to everyone. An interesting feature is the preparation of Christmas cookies, in which each member of the family must take part. But the New Year is usually celebrated on the main squares of the city.
Not less important is the feast of Easter. They prepare for him in the usual form for us: paint eggs, bake cakes, and decorate vases with willow branches.
Czech weddings are also similar to our traditions. Marriages are held on Saturdays, in the local municipality, followed by a wedding in the church. Here is just a wedding feast for the Czechs - these are very modest and purely symbolic treats.
Cult of beer
It's hard to imagine a Czech who does not appreciate beer. For the first time this drink was discovered in the Czech Republic in 1088 in a letter from Prince Břetislav, who gave hops to the Vyborg monks for brewing beer.
This foamy drink in the Czech Republic is of the highest quality, and its use is the same unchanging tradition. Only after strict quality control and raw materials beer is given the right to be called Czech. Brewers are valued and honored here, and a representative of this profession is in every village, even in the remote wilderness. Tourists certainly need to learn Czech beer, and to fully experience its taste can be in authentic pubs that convey the atmosphere of the Czech Republic.