This document discusses various national holidays celebrated in the Czech Republic and other countries. It provides details on religious holidays like Christmas and Easter, as well as national holidays such as New Year's Day, Liberation Day, and Independence Day. It also summarizes key celebrations and traditions associated with holidays in the UK, USA, and St. Valentine's Day.

1. National holidays
(Státní svátky)

2. Types of celebrations
Three different types of celebrations are:
Religious holidays – Advent, Christmas, Easter
Family celebrations – birthday, wedding, name day
National Holidays - New Year’s Day, Liberation Day

3. 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 [riːθ].

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

6. 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.
26th December is called the Boxing day.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. Family celebrations
Birthday
Baptism
Name day
Wedding
Wedding anniversary

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

11. 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.

12. 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.

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

14. Czech Statehood Day – September the 28th
On this day Prince Wenceslas was killed
(28th September 935 AD).
He became the saint patron of the Czech nation.

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

16. 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.

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

18. 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

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

20. 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.

21. 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.

22. 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.

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