Armenia
Australia
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
China
Costa Rica
Czech Rep.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Denmark
Egypt
Ethiopia
Finland
France
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Greenland
Holland
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Ireland
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Latvia
Lebanon
Madagascar
Mali
Malta
Mexico
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Pakistan
Palestine
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Russia
Serbia
Slovakia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sweden
Trinidad and Tobago
U.K.
U.S.A.
Vietnam
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Christmas in the Czech Republic
During the evening of the 5th December, children watch the sky for any sign of St. Nicholas. They believe that he comes down from the sky with a bag of presents for good children and a bag of sticks for bad children. When children think they can hear him coming, they rush to the dinner table and say their prayers, hoping that they will get good presents.
In the Czech language Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.
In the Czech Republic, children often get some small presents on St. Nicholas' day, similar to the stockings that children receive in the U.K. on Christmas day. The main presents are often opened on Christmas eve, in the evening!
At Christmas in the Czech Republic, even the animals are given a share of the Christmas food. This includes pets and any farm animals that families may have.
A place is left empty at the Christmas Day meal in case the Christ Child should come to the meal. A traditional Christmas meal in the Czech Republic is carp.