Czech Update

How and where Czechs travel on holiday?

Dominik Lukeš — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 07:47:10 +0100

How Czechs travel seems to be impacting on where. The most popular destination for vacationing Czechs has been and still is Croatia. However, a recent Croat ban on importing certain kinds of foods has caused almost 10% of the 900 thosand Czechs planning a trip to cancel their holiday there (in favor of Italy or some other place). Why? read more »

Veselé Velikonoce - Happy Easter (2008)

Dominik Lukeš — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 11:07:23 +0000

Veselé Velikonoce roku 2008. You can read a bit more about Czech Easter in this post from last year or in one of the two comprehensive articles below.

The Czech Republic’s Easter traditions are colourful both in appearance and name. The journeys of Captain Oddsocks: Czech Easter traditions

Easter Monday practices, involving boys pouring water over girls and lightly whipping them with braided branches, are the most controversial of Easter traditions. Global Voices Online » Czech Republic, Slovakia: Whipping Girls and Other Easter Traditions

Czechs no longer shrink shy

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:41:51 +0000

According to new stats, the number of Czechs seeking the services of a shrink has grown by almost a third since 2000. Experts claim that one of the reasons for that is more information about psych treatments. Supposedly almost half a million Czechs ended up on the couch in 2006 including 17500 hospitalisations due to mental illness. read more »

Czechs bought 350 000 bicycles in 2006 for Sport not Commute

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 23:43:00 +0000

Lots of cycling stories in the Czech press this last week. Czechs seem to be buying lots of cycles but don't like to think of them as a commuting device but rather one for getting some exercise in. Prague is becoming a bit more cycle-commute friendly but it's still more the exception than the rule. read more »

EU causes Czech pig crisis

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 16:18:24 +0100

I don't know what's more interesting about the story: that there is a crisis in pork production in the CR or that there is a publication called PigProgress.net? read more »

Bramboráky a houby in Chicago

Dominik Lukeš — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 14:28:42 +0100

What could be more fitting to celebrate Czech traditions than Houby Day on Čermák Road. This is the season of mushroom picking in the Czech Republic and many of the mushrooms (houby) will end up in pancakes (bramboráky), even though even more will be made into a meal with scrambled eggs (smaženice). read more »

Dictionary of Czech culture

Dominik Lukeš — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 21:56:48 +0100

The Amazon reviewer got it right! read more »

How have Czech values changed?

Dominik Lukeš — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 21:55:17 +0100

If you're wondering about what Czech views on this or that are, you could do worse than going to the excellent World Values Survey and use their read more »

Czech doctors don't talk to patients

Dominik Lukeš — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 09:24:52 +0100

Poll: Most Czech doctors do not use patient's informed consent - Prague Daily Monitor read more »

Czech court says no to ex-spouse's snooping

Dominik Lukeš — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 15:58:39 +0100

Just a little curiosity but also an example of privacy becoming a greater concern than it has traditionally been in the Czech culture.

Czech man gets suspended sentence for reading his ex's SMS - Europe read more »

Czech children not poor, but have emotional problems - UNICEF

Dominik Lukeš — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 09:45:00 +0000

Czech children not poor, but have emotional problems - UNICEF Czech children do not suffer from poverty and they have good health care and education as compared to children from some two tens of developed countries, but they have more problems in relations with parents and peers, according to a study that UNICEF released today.

Czech Republic came 11th in the overall score beating USA, France and UK (all three often featured as role models in socio-economic areas). Czechs were 11th, 10th and 9th in financial position, health and education respectively and it's infant mortality rates are one of the lowest but their overall ranking was brought down by "assessment of relations between children and their peers, and children and their parents." where CR scored 19th (ahead only of UK and US). Here are some other quotes from the article about the report. read more »

Is vepřoknedlozélo in danger?

Dominik Lukeš — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 14:23:26 +0000

Pig Progress | News | Page content | Pig breeding down in Czech Republic Pig breeders are annually winding down activities in the Czech Republic. In the last five years, pig stocks have decreased by 600,000 to 2,840,000, says the Czech Statistical Office (CSU). read more »

The Masopust season: Pork killing and eating time

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 10:30:39 +0000

MF DNES Praha - Pravé zabijačkové hody, ale hlavně karnevalové masky a spousta zábavy. Tak vypadal čtvrtý ročník Karlínského masopustu, který odstartoval v sobotu v jednu hodinu po poledni.

The time of Masopust, or the pre-lent carnival, (literally, the meat fast, a translation of the carni-val) has come upon us which means a lot of pig slaughtering festivities (zabijačky [lit. killing times]). Of course, the atheist Czechs will go on eating meat all the way through Lent. The Czech Wikipedia lists some of the foods you might take away (výslužka) from a killing time: read more »

It's a Czech's funeral

Dominik Lukeš — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 13:55:53 +0000

Potoky "druhých slzí" - www.lidovky.cz PRAHA 4. února 2007 | 13:45 V Česku se prý moc slavnostně nepohřbívá. Čas od času proběhnou médii zprávy o tom, že velká část pohřbů proběhne bez obřadu, v některých oblastech to je snad až šedesát procent. Je hodně pozůstalých, kteří si do pohřebního ústavu zapomenou přijít pro urnu, když uplyne lhůta, popel se vysype... někam.

Karel Svoboda, a well-known composer died recently, apparently committing suicide leading to a great amount of attention from the media and the public. This led Lidové Noviny to publish an article that has some interesting information about Czech funereal practices. Apparently, these happen typically with a minimum of pomp. As many as 60% of all funerals happen without a ceremony (I know of several families where that is a tradition) and supposedly quite a few urns with ashes are not collected from funeral homes. This is undoubtedly connected with the high level of atheism - up to 60% - which means that many Czechs don't have an easy access to a ritualized and institutionalized expression of grief and mourning. read more »

Richer Czechs adopt long distance

Dominik Lukeš — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 09:55:50 +0000

Češi propadli adopci na dálku - www.lidovky.cz Odborníci mají pro rostoucí zájem o adopce na dálku vysvětlení. Zatímco dříve byla z drtivé většiny motivace lidí dána výchovou – tedy že lidem v nouzi by se mělo pomáhat – nyní vstupuje do hry nový motiv. „I když ta touha pomáhat chudým převládá, motivace pramení i z dobrých materiálních poměrů Čechů, jejichž životní úroveň se každým rokem zvyšuje,“ konstatovala za občanské sdružení Adra Marie Racková. Organizace Adra zprostředkovala dálkové sponzorství pro 1100 dětí v Bangladéši.

Secondary school entrance exams to be abolished

Dominik Lukeš — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 09:49:21 +0000

Czech Education Minister wants to abolish entrance exams-press Prague- New Czech Education Minister Dana Kuchtova from the minor government Green Party intends to abolish high school entrance exams, she told the daily Pravo today. According to the daily Hospodarske noviny, more than half a million students study at high schools in the Czech Republic at present. Of them, 145,000 students study at grammar schools, 211,000 at vocational secondary schools and 164,000 students study at apprentice schools, Hospodarske noviny says.

Cultural differences land Czech in English jail

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 18:34:50 +0000

Wigan news - Wigan Today: News, Sport, Jobs, Property, Cars, Entertainments & More Miroslav Macheček, a teacher from Prague in the Czech Republic, spent five months in prison and endured a living hell after being accused of indecently touching the 10-year-old as she stood holding her mother's hand in the delicatessen queue at a Wigan supermarket. ... "I did a joke with the child and touched her on the right shoulder. The mother looked toward her daughter and saw my hand there, I did not do anything wrong. " ... "In my country you can do a joke with a child, but here you can get in very serious trouble."

'Rybička' makes it into Bond flick

Dominik Lukeš — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 17:38:04 +0000

"Four seconds of fame" for Czech knife in Bond movie - 12-01-2007 - Radio Prague What do James Bond and the Czech hobby of mushroom picking have in common? I won't keep you guessing - it is a knife - more precisely knives produced by the Czech company Mikov. Their products are good enough for 007 as well as the peaceful Czech family hobby of mushroom picking.

The title is a subtle pun since the 'rybička' refers to a very famous Czech flick knife with a fish-shaped handle whose maker's product was prominently displayed in the latest Bond film. This is what the company's director had to say about it (and with justification): read more »

Czech succumb to charm of massage as 'wellness' comes to fore

Dominik Lukeš — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 15:32:19 +0000

Češi propadají kouzlu masáží - www.lidovky.cz Masážní studia hlásí plné stavy. S rostoucí životní úrovní si totiž Češi dopřávají kvalitní péči o tělo a masáž vnímají jako druh relaxace po náročném pracovním dnu.

The Czech massage business is booming. This comes on the heals of changing attitudes toward the idea of getting a massage. Until very recently, it just wasn't a part of the Czech concept of things to do outside medicine and sport. This read more »

Cultural impact of change in Czech TV news schedule

Dominik Lukeš — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 16:32:31 +0000

Change in Czech TV main news time benefits Nova - 10-01-2007 - Radio Prague Many Czechs catch their television news in the early evening, between 7 and 8 o'clock. But which particular news programmes they choose to watch has changed somewhat since the New Year, when Czech Television brought its main evening news forward by 15 minutes. The change also affects hundreds of thousands of Czech children, as a popular animated programme also starts earlier. read more »

It is interesting, if not surprising, how important TV schedules are for the cultural patterns of a nation. For Czech, culturally particularly important time is between 7 and 8 pm which is a transition between children's time and adult time. Children watch their 10-minute evening story - Večerníček, and then adults watch the news (boring for children) and than at 8 pm the main adult (as in not for children, not pornographic) programming starts when children go to bed. So a change of even as little as 15 minutes can have quite an impact on individuals' lives. Particularly when it comes down to the institution of Večerníček (so important it even has its own Wikipedia entry):

Czechs take the bus abroad to spend 13000 on holidays

Dominik Lukeš — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 09:32:53 +0000

Average Czech spends CZK 13,395 on holidays abroad in 2006-ACCKA - Prague Daily Monitor Prague, Jan 9 (CTK) - The average Czech spent CZK 13,395 on holidays abroad last year, five percent more than a year ago, Czech travel agencies association ACCKA spokesman Tomio Okamura has told CTK.

Given that that is slightly more than the half the average monthly salary, that's not a small sum. But given that it is only 500 EUR, it isn't that much (of course the figure includes all individuals including those who don't travel - I think). read more »

More than half of Czechs willing to move for work

Dominik Lukeš — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 13:24:33 +0000

Téměř polovina Čechů je ochotna odejít za prací - iDNES.cz Češi jsou již ochotnější stěhovat se za prací. Z výzkumu, který provedla Hypoteční banka, vyplývá, že téměř každý druhý v tom nevidí velký problém. Lidí, které by výhodná pracovní nabídka přiměla sbalit kufry a odstěhovat se, je dokonce více než těch, kteří si to nedovedou představit.

"Je lepší dvakrát vyhořet než se jednou stěhovat" (It is better to have your house burn down twice than to have to move once.) goes a Czech saying. read more »

PF 2007

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 10:30:35 +0000

Všechno nejlepší do Nového roku. All the best in the New Year from Czech Update.

Here is your Péefko: PF 2007.

Read more about PFs here. Here is an example of the many online PFs published in many places on the Czech Internet.

Christmas on Czech TV

Dominik Lukeš — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 02:47:52 +0000

Vánoční „jistoty“ přebil Anděl Páně - www.lidovky.cz PRAHA 27. prosince 2006 | 9:30 Všechny klasické, notoricky známé pohádky si děti i dospělí mohli dopřát i o těchto Vánocích. Nejlíp na Štědrý den - to jejich frekvence byla obzvlášť silná. Princezna se zlatou hvězdou a Tři oříšky pro Popelku (Nova), Pyšná princezna (ČT 1) či Byl jednou jeden král (Prima) nechyběly ani letos.

One way to know it is Christmas in the Czech Republic is to turn on the TV. read more »

Christmas text torrent tears records

Dominik Lukeš — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 20:30:10 +0000

Před nadílkou vedly SMS, po ní obrázkové zprávy - iDNES.cz Češi i o letošním Štědrém dnu překonali rekord v počtu odeslaných zpráv SMS. Každý ze dvou největších operátorů jich zaznamenal kolem 26 milionů. Počet hovorů zůstal na zhruba stejné úrovni, ale lidé tentokrát hovořili déle. Oproti loňsku se zvýšil i počet multimediálních zpráv MMS.

Czech mobile companies have done it again. Measuring our affection they gathered that over 70 million SMSs were sent on Christmas Eve (the most important day of Christmas in Central Europe). read more »

Carp carnage confounds tourists

Dominik Lukeš — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 20:29:14 +0000

Turisté nechápou zabíjení kaprů - www.lidovky.cz Turisty lákají především předvánoční trhy. „Teď jsem byl na Staromáku a viděl jsem turisty, jak obléhají stánky, cpou se klobásami a nechápavě koukají na hromadné zabíjení kaprů,“ dodává Beránek.

Other than the headline the other interesting tidbit in this article is the numbers of tourists who even during Christmas number in 50 thousand and spend over 10 billion crowns in the process.

A Czech Christmas Eve in 1950s Texas

Dominik Lukeš — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 13:26:59 +0000

Charlotte Carter, guest column: A Czech Christmas Eve Yes, there were kolaches — apple strudel and buchta — but also soup, baked chicken, bread dressing, pork sausage and sauerkraut flavored with caraway seeds. Looking back, I recognize that Grandma’s chicken soup contained more than homemade noodles. Every spoonful was filled with her love.

A very interesting column of memories by a Czech American. It is not the most accurate portrayal of Czech Christmas c read more »

Ježíšek trounces Santa, again

Dominik Lukeš — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 12:22:54 +0000

Průzkum: Populární Ježíšek stále drtí Santa Clause - iDNES.cz nejoblíbenějším nadělujícím zůstává podle očekávání Ježíšek. I další postavy spojované v Česku s rozdáváním dárků - Mikuláš s Andělem a Čertem - jednoznačně dominují nad postavami importovanými ze zahraničí. Ať už jde o východního Dědu mráze, nebo západního Santa Clause. Právě tito dva zaznamenali od minulého měření největší propad. Naproti tomu Ježíšek a Anděl posílili.

Carp sellers mostly honest

Dominik Lukeš — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 12:27:51 +0000

Prodejci kaprů nešidí. Skoro - iDNES.cz Inspektorka: Kapři nám dělají radost: "Dělám to už dvanáct let," říká starší z obou inspektorek. "Musím říct, že v posledních letech při prodeji kaprů není zdaleka tolik problémů, co dřív.

Carp sellers in Czech towns, apart from publicly killing and butchering fish, are by and large honest, as was revealed by a round of inspections. read more »

A Czech Christmas dinner in Texas

Dominik Lukeš — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 11:18:03 +0000

A Czech Christmas: fish soup, potato salad and False Snails | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle Everywhere in the Czech Republic, people enjoy the same menu on Christmas Eve: appetizers, fish soup, fried fish, potato salad, Christmas bread, Christmas cookies and apple strudel. By tradition, the fish is Czech carp, which is prized all over Europe but difficult to find here. In Marcella and Tomas Klima's family, the appetizer on Christmas Eve is always False Snails. These recipes come from Czech Family Cookbook - Cooking With the Klimas.

Czechs to bet 12 billion crowns

Dominik Lukeš — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 09:24:04 +0000

Češi milují kurzové sázení - www.lidovky.cz Přední sázkové kanceláře hlásí, že také pro letošní rok počítají s vyššími tržbami. V klasických kamenných pobočkách by měli v letošním roce klienti nechat kolem dvanácti miliard korun. ... Sází se na sport, politiku i superstar. ... Největší podíl na tržbách českých sázkových kanceláří mají sportovní sázky. „Více než polovina sázek jde na fotbal, dalších čtyřicet procent spolkne hokej a kolem osmi procent patří tenisu,“ konstatoval Mašek.

Changing Czech tastebuds find fresh fish (plus some meat stats)

Dominik Lukeš — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 21:31:38 +0000

Češi přišli na chuť čerstvým rybám na úkor mražených - iDNES.cz V České republice podle obchodníků v posledních letech roste obliba čerstvých chlazených ryb, které z nákupních košíků postupně vytlačují ryby mrazené. Češi jsou sice v EU stále značně podprůměrní jedlíci ryb, při výběru ale čím dál častěji sahají i po exotických druzích ryb a mořských živočichů.

Czechs are far below the EU average when it comes to eating fish, other than the Christmas carp but a recent report shows that for the fish they eat, they are more and more reaching for fresh chilled fish rather than frozen fillets. read more »

Dumpling News Weekly - Czechs in America

Dominik Lukeš — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 17:46:46 +0000

Internet newsletter offers Czech-American news, hard-to-find products - 12-12-2006 - Radio Prague Numerous newspapers and magazines serve the Czech community in the United States, from "nationwide" publications such as Americke listy to regional titles like Czech Nebraska. There are also several internet websites and email newsletters, such as the weekly Dumpling News; it is produced by Zora Pergl, a woman of Czech descent based in Florida. I asked her how Dumpling News has been received since its launch in April last year.

Czechs drink more wine

Dominik Lukeš — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 17:43:28 +0000

Češi pijí více vína, i dražšího - iDNES.cz Lidé mají větší zájem především o prestižní kategorie vín nad 130 korun. Jedná se především o značky Bohemia Sekt Prestige, Chateau Radyně a Chateau Bzenec a Louis Girardot.

Most of Czech wine comes out of Moravia. Some important labels of cultural importance are Frankovka, Müller-Thurgau a Veltlínské zelené. That, however, is changing and now Czechs demand more expensive prestigious wines priced over 130 Kč (about 6 US dollars). read more »

Czechs don't shop for fun

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 15:45:48 +0100

Pro zábavu nakupují tři čtvrtiny lidí, Češi zřídka - iDNES.cz Podle výzkumu agentury ACNielsen chodí občas nakupovat pro zábavu tři čtvrtiny spotřebitelů ve světě - s výjimkou Čechů. Češi kralují úplně opačnému žebříčku. Nakupují převážně z nutnosti. Že by alespoň někdy zašli do obchodu pro potěšení, připustila jen zhruba polovina dotázaných.

Acording to ACNielsen three quarters of the world's population like to shop for fun. Czechs, of the 42 countries surveyed, are least likely to engage in "recreational shopping". In this they are similar to other European countries. For instance, there is no word for window-shopping. Even some aspects of the word to shop are missing in Czech. nakupovat means to shop but only if buying is the purpose. Partly because the word koupit (to buy) is a part of it. Here is the exact quote from AC Nielsen press release:

Despite the high concentration of recreational shoppers in Asia-Pacific, the trend is flourishing all over the globe. In each of the 42 markets surveyed by ACNielsen, the majority of consumers shop just for something to do. Seventy-three percent of Latin Americans and 68 percent of Europeans are recreational shoppers, with 48 percent of Latin Americans going shopping for fun once a month or more—beaten only by consumers in Asia-Pacific, where 55 percent do it once a month or more. European consumers were least likely to be recreational shoppers, and nine of the top ten countries for “never” shopping unless it’s necessary are in Europe. Czechs are the least likely to be recreational shoppers, with nearly 50 percent of respondents saying they never shop for entertainment. This is followed by Austrians (44%), Hungarians (43%), Portuguese (42%), Spaniards (41%), Danes (36%), Norwegians and Poles (tied at 35%), and Britons (tied with Brazilians at 34%). read more »

PF 2006 - Všechno nejlepší do nového roku

Dominik Lukeš — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 19:41:48 +0000

Czechs are not nearly as prolific card writers as the English but they certainly send out lots of them on special occasions. The typical New Year card bears the acronym PF (from the French pour féliciter) and is refered to in Czech as 'péefko'. Most people send a postcard (pohled) but many people and companies make their own. Bohemica's PF card is on Bohemica.com/2006. Some more traditional PFs can also be found on pohlednice.centrum.cz or this specialized PF s read more »

Czech traditions and German influence

Dominik Lukeš — Fri, 16 Dec 2005 13:23:47 +0000

The Prague Post Online Experts agree that proper Olomouc cheese, or Olomoucké tvarůžky, should be moist and slightly sticky, with a lustrous, translucent layer on the outside. The inside, by contrast, should be firm but not tough, its color somewhere between light beige and creamy white. And then there is the characteristic smell. ... But is it authentically Czech? On that point hangs a debate stirring up the EP [European Parliament]. Tvarůžky and another of the country's favorite products — thin, sweet wafers from Karlovy Vary known as oplatky — are at the center of an argument between Czech, German and Austrian members of the EP. read more »