Customs and traditions
It is common to health by shaking hands, and there are unspoken rules on how to do it. When two people meet, the younger person is expected to wait until the older man initiates a handshake. If you know each other, it is common to greet each other with a hug or a kiss. Czechs rarely touch each other when they meet and talk, unless they know each other well.
According to Abbreviationfinder, Czechs are usually welcoming to guests but it is important with respect and courtesy when greeting and talking. This is especially true of the elderly. Adults you do not know should be addressed to you, as long as the other person does not say anything else. You tell family members, good friends and children.
- Countryaah: Overview of the capital city of Czech Republic, including information about its population, economy, geography, history and map.
It is naughty to cough or yawn without holding your mouth, or chewing gum when talking to another person. This also applies to the rules of etiquette to offer older people a seat on the bus or tram.
You can talk about most things depending on how well you know each other. As visitors from another country, it may be wise to avoid expressing your views on Czech politics or on the former communist system, if you do not know what views you are talking to. Humor has a central place in culture, often a raw humor that can sometimes be vulgar and have racist features.
Workplaces and business meetings
Punctuality is important in workplaces and meetings. The clothing style in Czech offices is formal even though it is changing. The larger a company or organization is and the higher an official is, the more formal one gets dressed. Older people who grew up during the communist era are also more formal than younger ones, both in terms of attitude and attire. Men often wear dark suits, and women have skirts, blouses and a blazer that can be in lighter colors. Managers and colleagues are most often not addressed with you, but with Mr / Mrs, the professional title or the academic title. The label belongs to say goodbye when you come to the workplace, for example “Good morning Mrs. NN”. Most workplaces have a hierarchical structure, but modern companies with younger owners often have a more relaxed style.
Working overtime to complete a work to the deadline is unusual, so delays occur even though most people assume that the work will be done within the appointed time. In some workplaces there is a legacy left over from the communist era in the form of lower labor rates and poorer work ethics.
It facilitates having good personal relationships with workmates, not just a professional relationship. If you are going to start a business collaboration, it is also good to first make a friendly contact and get to know each other before you start talking job. Being friendly and nice and taking the initiative for lunch or coffee can be a good start.
Women, on the one hand, are discriminated against in the labor market with lower wages and higher unemployment, but are treated superficially with special respect. Both on and off the workplace, a man is expected to hold the door of a woman and help her with the coat. If you are invited to a family home, it belongs to the label to give the hostess flowers.
Typical food
Czech cuisine has been influenced by the different kingdoms that have ruled the area and the surrounding regions. The German influences are large, and there is also a clear influence from Hungary and other parts of Eastern Europe.
Czech food is quite heavy with lots of meat, intestinal food, potatoes, sauce and dumplings (a kind of body cake made from potatoes, flour and eggs). A typical dish is ham with dumplings and sauerkraut. The food is usually cooked with butter and cream. Various soups on meat, intestines, vegetables and mushrooms are often served as an appetizer for lunch or dinner.
When it comes to fish, freshwater fish are the most common carp or trout, which are usually grown in artificial lakes. The vegetables that are traditionally served are usually only carrots, cabbage and peas. Salad used to only be eaten in the summer when it was season for cucumbers and tomatoes, but has now become more common throughout the year. It is tradition to eat breaded fried carp on Christmas Eve. You buy the fish a few days before Christmas and then keep it alive in the bathtub until Christmas Eve comes. On Christmas Day, many roast turkey eats.
A Czech breakfast usually consists of coarse bread with butter and cheese, sausage or ham, and to it eggs, yogurt and coffee or tea. Sweets are popular. The typical dessert is fruit dumpling, which are round dumplings made from a sweet dough and filled with plums, apricots or other fruit and with icing sugar and melted butter on top. The German apple pie apple strudel is also common, as are stuffed crepes.
A common snack if you go to town is obložené chlebíčky, sandwiches with various toppings sold in small shops and often eaten on the go. Koláče is another Czech specialty you can buy at bakeries, it is a bun filled with, for example, cheese or jam.
Czech beer is world-renowned and the Czechs are among the world’s largest beer consumers. It was in Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) that the first pilsner, light lager beer, was created in 1842 in the city of Plzeň (Pilsen in German). There are plenty of breweries with beer beverages and even microbreweries in some restaurants.
Holidays
In addition to May 1, the Czechs have several national holidays. On January 1, in addition to New Year’s Day, the founding of the independent Czech state is celebrated. May 8 is a holiday commemorating the liberation of then-Czechoslovakia by the Allied armies in 1945. On September 28, the Czech state and the identity of National Saint Prince Václav’s death day 935 are celebrated. He was murdered by his brother and declared saint. The founding of the independent Czechoslovak state is celebrated on October 28 and is the most important holiday. The day of the fight for freedom and democracy is celebrated on 17 November.
According to Countryaah, the Czech Republic also has its own Christian holidays, except Christmas and Easter. July 5 is the day of the Slavic apostles Cyril and Methodius. The next day, July 6, is a holiday in memory of religious reform leader Jan Hus.
Communications
The road and rail network is well developed, thanks in large part to EU support. Of the road network of just over 13,000 kilometers, around one-twentieth consists of highways and motor traffic routes. From Prague, motorways go to the German border and via Brno to the border with Slovakia. Another motorway runs from Brno to the third largest city of Ostrava, near the border with Poland.
The number of passenger cars has increased significantly since the late 1980s. Freight transport through the Czech Republic has also increased, not least after the EU accession in 2004. Fees for heavy traffic on the roads have been gradually introduced. There are tolls for all traffic on motorways and motorways.
Approximately one third of the rail network of almost 1,000 kilometers is electrified. In the 1990s, train traffic cuts were made, but the strong railway trade union has subsequently succeeded in stopping plans for the closure of several unprofitable lines. In 2011, the railroad was deregulated. In Prague there are both trams and metro.
River transport is now relatively insignificant. Domestic flights are also limited because the country is small, but the national airline Czech Airlines (CSA) has traffic to most European capitals and to other continents. Airports can be found in, among others, Prague (Václav Havel Airport, formerly Ruzyně), Brno, Karlovy Vary and Ostrava. Alongside CSA are privately owned low cost airlines.