1. National holidays
(Státní svátky)

2. National Holidays
 Types of celebrations
 Christmas/Advent
 Easter
 Family celebrations
 Czech National Holidays
 Czechoslovak Independence Day
 UK - Bank holidays
 National Holidays of the USA
 American Independence Day

3. Types of celebrations
Three different kinds of celebrations are:
Religious holidays – Christmas, Eastern
Family celebrations – birthday, wedding, name day
National Holidays - New Year’s Day, Liberation Day

4. Christmas
Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.
Christmas Eve (evening) - 24th December
Christmas Day - 25th December
St. Stephen’s Day - 26th December

5. Advent
Time of four weeks before Christmas.
Women decorate their houses and bake sweets.
We buy presents for our relatives and friends.
Every Sunday we lit candle on the Advent
wreath.

6. Christmas Eve
We decorate Christmas tree.
We have Christmas dinner – fried carp and
potato salad.
We open presents under the decorated Christmas
tree.

7. Christmas in UK and in the USA
People in UK and the USA open presents on 25th
December in the morning.
Their typical Christmas meal is roast turkey.

8. Easter
The most important Christian holiday.
It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Easter is celebrated in spring – in March or April.
The date is different every year.
The first Sunday after the first spring full moon.

9. Easter
Symbols of Easter are decorated eggs, lambs,
rabbits, representing the new life.
On Easter Monday boys with willow sticks
decorated with ribbons go to beat girls.

10. Family celebrations
Birthday
Baptism
Name day
Wedding
Wedding anniversary

11. Czech National Holidays
New Year’s Day
Workers Day
Liberation Day
Czech Statehood Day
Czechoslovak Independence Day
Day of Struggle for Freedom and Democracy

12. New Year’s Day - January the 1st
People celebrate the New Year at night before, at New
Year’s Eve.
They celebrate the coming of the New Year by drinking
and fireworks.
At midnight they have New Year s toast with a glass of
champagne.
They make New Year s resolutions.

13. International Workers' Day – May the 1st
Also known as May Day.
A celebration of the international labour
movement.
A national holiday in more than 80 countries.

14. Liberation day - May the 8th
Celebrates the end of the Second World War.

15. Czech Statehood Day – September the 28th
On this day Prince Wenceslas was killed.
He became the patron saint of Czech nation.

16. Czechoslovak Independence Day - October
the 28th
The independent Czechoslovak Republic
was founded in 1918.
T. G. Masaryk became the first president.

17. Day of Struggle for Freedom and
Democracy - 17th of November
The student demonstration against Nazi
occupation in 1939.
The demonstration in 1989 that started the Velvet
Revolution.

18. Bank Holidays in the UK
National holidays in Great Britain are
called the Bank Holidays.
Banks are closed these days.

19. National holidays of Great Britain
New Year s Day
Easter
May Day
Spring Bank Holiday (end of May)
Summer Bank Holiday (end of August)
Christmas

20. National Holidays in the USA
New Year s Day
Easter (Good Friday, Easter Monday)
Independence Day
Thanksgiving
Halloween
Christmas (Christmas Day, Boxing Day)

21. The USA - Independence Day
The greatest American holiday, celebrated on 4th
July.
Americans celebrate their country’s birthday.
The Declaration of Independence was signed in
1776.
George Washington became the first American
president.

22. The USA – Thanksgiving
The oldest of all American holidays.
It is celebrated on the last Thursday of November.
Historically held as thanks for good harvest.
Festival for families, who usually come together.
Traditional meal is turkey and autumn vegetables.

23. The USA – Halloween
One of world's oldest holidays.
It goes back to Celtic times.
It is celebrated on the evening of October 31st.
Time of masks, costumes and superstitions.
Very popular with children.

24. Saint Valentine's Day – February the 14th
A holiday that celebrates love.
People in love give and get candy & gifts.