Public Holidays in the Czech Republic (part of former Czechoslovakia)

Most public or bank holidays in the Czech Republic, have a secular nature and background, but there are also a few religious ones. I have written up here a list of all nationwide public holidays in the Czech Republic plus a short piece of background information for each. Knowing about the public bank holidays of a country helps with conducting an international business, planning your travels and, last but not least, helps you not too miss that special celebration that takes place only one time a year. All holidays in the following list are fixed holidays with the exception of Easter that falls each year on another day due to its dependance on the lunar calendar.

The weekly holiday in the Czech Republic is Sunday. Expect to find a lot of shops closed on Sundays and other holidays, especially in rural areas. Pubs and restaurants are usually open and you should also find some open shops in bigger towns and cities. Banks will be normally closed on all holidays, except branches in major railway stations and airports. Public transport will run on a so-called “Sunday schedule” and be less frequent than during the week. Tourist attractions, museums, zoos etc will be open, but some only during the tourist season between April to October.

Important: Czech museums, galleries and exhibitions are often closed on Mondays. To avoid disappointments check opening hours and days when planning your travels. You don't want to find your “dream museum” closed on the only day you are in town.

January

1^st January

New Year's Day, but also the “Restoration Day of the Independent Czech State”. This is one holiday the both states that ones formed Czechoslovakia share. 1993 was the peaceful break-up, also known as the “Velvet Divorce”, that separated the Czech and Slovak Republics into two independent states.

April

5^th April 2010

Easter Monday is the only movable public holiday in this list, due to the fact that its date depend on the, movable, lunar calendar. Easter Monday, together with Easter Sunday, is dedicated to the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the major Christian holiday. Apart of church celebrations (mostly on Easter Sunday) it also has a great richness of folk traditions like “whipping up the women”Follow the link to learn more about less known Czech Easter traditions.

May

1^st May

Labour Day, once THE communist holiday with massive parades, is now a much more subdued celebration. I often have the impression, that people that live in former communist ruled countries still don't know how they should celebrate it now! The Czechs have found an ingenious solution to this - they celebrate it as “Love Day”! Couples will make a pilgrimage to the statue of Karel Hynek Mácha on Petrin Hill and kiss under the flowering tree nearby to celebrate their love and relationship.

8^th May

Liberation Day marks the end of the (European part of ) World War II in 1945. Czechoslovakia was liberated by both, US-American and Soviet, troops from the German occupation. The US-General Patton liberated with his army, most of western Bohemia by 5^th May 1945 and the 8^th May 1945 witnessed the official surrender of the Germans on the west front. The Red Army of the Soviet Union arrived one day later, 9^th May 1945, in Prague. So it was only logical for the communist regime that ruled the country from 1948 to the Velvet Revolution in 1989, to celebrate Liberation Day on 9^th May. Now it is celebrated on the 8^th May. To learn more about how the communists “corrected history” and how this changed after the fall of communism, just follow the link.

July

5^th July

Saints Cyril and Methodius Day, originally a Christian holiday, has now also deep secular and historical connotations. SS. Cyril and Methodius were two brothers that invented the cyrillic alphabet, taught literacy to the slavs and preached the gospel in the Czech lands beginning 863. Their cathedral in Prague was the place were the assassins of Reinhard Heydrich hid in 1942 and were they committed suicide to avoid capture by the German Nazis. To learn more about this part of Czech history refer to the SS.Cyril and Methodius Cathedral website.

6^th July

Jan Hus Day celebrates the life and death (~1372 to 1415, burned at the stake) of the Czech reformer who pre-dated Martin Luther. He is seen as an important symbol for an independent Czech national identity. Even the communists tried to “occupy” him as the “first Czech communist”.

September

28^th September

St. Wenceslas Day or “Day of Czech Statehood” remembers St. Wenceslas, yes, the one of Christmas carol fame, the patron saint of the Czech Republic who was murdered by his own brother in 935.

October

28^th October

Independent Czechoslovak State Day that celebrates the creation of the first independent modern state of Czechoslovakia in 1918, after the break-up of the Austro-Hungarian empire following World War I. This state is also known as “The First Republic” and was overthrown by the German Nazi occupation beginning 1938.

November

17^th November

Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day commemorates both, the resistance against the German Nazi occupation by students in 1939 and the unfolding of the Velvet Revolution of 1989, again sparked by student demonstrations. A moving account of the 20^th Anniversary celebrations of this day here in Prague can be found at happy 20^th anniversary Czech Republic.

December

24^th December

Christmas Eve, unlike the UK and the USA, Czech people celebrate Christmas (and receive their Christmas gifts) on the evening and night of 24^th December. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and many Czech people will go to church either for midnight mass or for a morning service on

25^th December that is known in the Czech Republic, and other European countries, as the “1^st Day of Christmas” and is mostly dedicated to family visits and church services.

26 December

The “2^nd Day of Christmas” or St. Stephen's Day are normally spend with visits to family members that live further afield, for example in the countryside. My own account of the way Czech people celebrate Christmas and the more “fishy” aspects can be found here: Christmas in Prague.

So, now you know more about public holidays in the Czech Republic, for an overview of Australian public holidays read that article.

Disclaimer: I am an expat who has lived since 2008 in the Czech Republic. All information provided in this article has been researched to the best of my abilities. But as I am a human, I am able to make mistakes, so please check facts concerning public holidays in the Czech Republic and other bits of information contained in this hub for yourself.

I would be thankful if you would leave a comment with any questions and suggestions you might have.