Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Public holidays
National
holidays
(
Státní svátek
) have always been a potential source of contention for the
Czechs. May Day, a nationwide compulsory march under the Communists, remains a pub-
lic holiday, though only the skinheads, anarchists and die-hard Stalinists take to the streets
nowadays. Of the other
slavné májové dny
(Glorious May Days), as they used to be known,
May 5, the beginning of the 1945 Prague Uprising, was binned a long time ago, and VE
Day is now celebrated as it is with the Western Allies on May 8, and not on May 9, as it
was under the Communists, and still is in Russia. September 28, the feast day of the coun-
try's patron saint, St Wenceslas, is now Czech State Day. Strangely, however, October 28,
the day on which the First Republic was founded in 1918, is still celebrated, despite being a
“Czechoslovak” holiday (and, for a while, under the Communists, Nationalization Day).
NATIONAL HOLIDAYS
Jan 1
New Year's Day (Nový rok)
Easter Mon
(Velikonoční pondělí)
May 1
May Day (Svátek práce)
May 8
VE Day (Den osvobození)
July 5
Introduction of Christianity (Den slovanských věrozvěstů Cyrila a Metoděje)
July 6
Death of Jan Hus (Den upálení mistra Jana Husa)
Sept 28
Czech State Day (Den české státnosti)
Oct 28
Foundation of the Republic (Den vzniku samostatného československého státu)
Nov 17
Battle for Freedom and Democracy Day (Den boje za svobodu a demokracii)
Dec 24
Christmas Eve (Štědrý den)
Dec 25
Christmas Day (Vánoce)
Dec 26
St Stephen's Day (Den sv Štěpana)
Time
The Czech Republic is in
CentralEuropeanTime
(CET), one hour ahead of Britain and six
hoursaheadofEST,withtheclocks goingforwardinspringforsummer time andbackagain
in autumn. Generally speaking, Czechs use the
24-hour clock
.
Tipping
Tipping
is normal practice in cafés, bars, restaurants and taxis, though it is usually done
simply by rounding up the total. For example, if the waiter tots up the bill and asks you for
74Kč, you should hand him a 100Kč note and say “take 80Kč”.
