Merry and Happy. Czech Christmas Holidays in the Memories of Witnesses
Author:
Libor Denk, Barbora Dietrichová, Vojtěch Kessler (edd.)
Year of publication:
2024
Publisher:
Historický ústav
ISBN:
978-80-7286-431-7
Immerse yourself in one of the most wonderful times of the year - Christmas. When the nights are the longest and the days the shortest, when the sun casts its softest rays and the landscape is covered in glittering snow, it is a time of joy, nostalgia and comfort. Christmas, a holiday that enchants children and adults, young and old, invites you on a journey full of memories of childhood, family traditions, the smell of sweets and the magic of a festively decorated home. Our publication will guide you through a rich set of Christmas traditions, rituals and customs from the beginning of Advent to the Three Kings. Discover how they have changed over the last 150 years and how the Church's liturgies and ancient pre-Christian symbols fit together. Looking at Czech Christmas as a complex system reveals the depth and diversity of the various cultural elements. Last but not least, through the symbolic Christmas scene we can also discern the concept and perception of the sacred in the life of contemporary man and people of previous generations.
