Czech culture Czech culture

Czech sports Czech sports

HistoryHistory

• Sports have a very long tradition in the Czech lands, with their beginnings dating to the 14th century under the reign of the Luxemburg family. This is when the popularity of various knight’s tournaments, which we can call the predecessor of sporting tournaments, began to grow. 

• The Czechs are not only excellent sportsmen but they are innovators as well. For example, František Janda-Suk won the discus throw at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris with the help of a revolutionary technique-throwing with a spin, which has been adopted by

following generations of discus throwers.

Sokol Sokol

• Organized sport did not emerge until 19th century when on February 16 1862, the Prague Sokol (Sokol means a falcon) was formed, the leading figures of which were Miroslav Tyrš and Jindřich Fügner. Other Sokol chapters sprang up in other locations around the Czech lands based on the pattern provided by the Prague organization, as well as among compatriots abroad. Regions were gradually created (here, a region meant an autonomous organizational unit), which after unification in 1904 became the Czech Sokol Community.

• Sokol was not only a physical education organization, but was also characterized by deeply patriotic and democratic ideas.

Famous sportsmen in the Famous sportsmen in the Czech Republic Czech Republic • Decathlon• Tomáš Dvořák and Roman Šebrle• Water sports• Štěpánka Hilgertová and Martin Doktor• Athletics • Emil Zátopek, Dana Zátopková, Jan Železný, Helena Fibingerová, Jarmila Kratochvílová and Šárka

Kašpárková• Ice hockey• Jaromír Jágr, Ivan Hlinka, Dominik Hašek and Patrik Eliáš• Skiing• Šárka Záhrobská and Kateřina Neumannová • Football• Pavel Nedvěd and Petr Čech• Speed skating• Martina Sáblíková• Figure-skating • Alena (Aja) Vrzánová• Tennis• Jaroslav Drobný, Ivan Lendl, Martina Navrátilová and Nicole Vaidišová• Freestyle skiing: Arials • Aleš Valenta

Czech cuisineCzech cuisine

History History

• Czech cuisine has both influenced and been influenced by the cuisines of surrounding countries. Many of the fine cakes and pastries that are popular in Eastern Europe originated in the Czech lands.

• Czech cuisine is marked by a strong emphasis on meat dishes. Pork is quite common, and beef and chicken are also popular. Goose, duck, rabbit and wild game are served. Fish is rare, with the occasional exception of fresh trout, and carp, which is served at Christmas.

Vepřo-knedlo-zelo (Roast pork with dumplings and saur kraut)

Side dishes

• Dumplings are very typical in Czech cuisine and are quite often served with meals. They are like rolls that can be made of wheat or potato. They are usually big and cut into slices. Only potato-based dumplings are usually smaller.

Snacks

• Since beer culture is a big part of Czech life, many popular Czech dishes and cheeses are usually eaten in pubs.

• Fried potato pancakes or sauerkraut. They are spiced with salt, pepper, and garlic and usually. Smaller variants are often eaten as a side dish.

Fried bramboráky is a potato pancake, make with pancakes of grated potato, flour and egg.

Cheese

• Smažák is maybe the less noble, but the most contemporary of Czech national dishes. A slice of Edam cheese about 1 cm thick is coated in bread-crumbs l and fried and served with tartar sauce and potatoes.

Pivní sýr

Soups

Soup plays an important role in Czech cuisine. Firstcourse is traditionally soup. Common soups you can find in Czech restaurants are:

• beef or chicken soup with noodles• garlic soup with fried bread• cabbage soup with minced sausage. • Other soups mainly cooked at home are pea,

bean or lentil soup, tomato soup, leek or broccoli soup (optionally with fried bread)

Sweets

• Fruit dumplings are mostly made using plums or apricots.

• Kolache is a type of pastry filled with fruits or even cheeses.

• Sweet dumplings with vanilla cream are traditional.

• Most sweets are eaten with coffee in the late afternoon, rather than immediately after a main meal. Koláče are commonly eaten at breakfast.

Christmas cookies

Beverages

• Aside from Slivovitz, Czech beer and wine, Czechs also produce two uniquely Czech liquors, Fernet Stock and Becherovka. Kofola is a non-alcoholic Czech soft drink somewhat similar in look and taste to Coca-Cola but not as sweet. A mixed drink consisting of Becherovka and tonic water is called Beton (concrete in Czech). Beton is an abbreviation of BEcherovka and TONic. Another popular mixed drink is Fernet Stock mixed with tonic, called "Bavorák" (literally: the bavarian).

Pilsner Urquell served in Prague

Czech celebrities

Bolek Polívka

Celebrities

• There are famous Czech people in different aspects of the society and culture: in sports, films, music or in politics.

Many of the team members of the ice-hockey teams in Canada and USA are of Czech Nationality. The world famous tennis player Martina Navratilova is also a Czech National.

In the cultural front one of the most famous Czech people is Ludmila Babková, a very important film actress.

• One of the most famous Czech people is Jirí Grossman: a poet, a composer and also a theatre actor.

• A very important politician is Vaclav Havel: ex-president of the Czech Republic and a well known philosopher. Havel is one of the most popular people in the Czech Republic.

Folk traditions

Folk traditions

The most interesting ones are:• The Ride of the Kings• Autumn feasts or Harvest feasts• The "Burning of the Witches" and the

Walpurgis Night (April 30)• May 1 "the time of love“• All Souls' Day (November 1)• Barborky (St. Barbara, December 4)