Every country has its own Christmas tradition. And the Czech Republic is no exception. The thing with traditions is that we grow up with them and they seem absolutely normal to us. Which Czech Chrismas Tradition Is Normal for us but Absolutely crazy to people from different countries? Do you want to know? Well then keep on listening!

Hi and Welcome to the advent edition of my podcast My Life and Other Funny Stories. In this edition, I bring you a new short Christmas-themed episode every day of December until Christmas. If you want to read the transcript of this episode, click the link in the description!

Today, we will look into our own traditions. I came up with this idea because of, again, my experience from Erasmus in France.

Me and my french classmates were sitting in a class of Business English with our American professor. We were discussing American and French Christmas traditions when out of nowhere the professor asked me: „Daja, is it TRUEE that Czech people keep carp in their bathtubs before Christmas eve?“. I looked her in the eyes and told her: „Yeah, sure, we do that.“. Her eyes widened and she answered: „No way! This can’t be true“.

I was so surprised by the reaction. I mean, it is normal, to have this Christmas MARATHON, – to buy a carp before Christmas day and keep it in your bathtub before one of the men in the family kills it, and then your family eats it. Right?

Then I thought about it again and realized that it actually is kind of weird. Weird means strange. You keep a living carp in your bathtub for one or more days. Who does that? Czech people, apparently.

My professor was so stunned (stunned is a different way of saying very surprised) that she asked me if I had any photos of that. It took me some time to get it but my friend sent me a picture of it so I could show it. They put it on a projector and everyone in the class just laughed.

Traditions are sometimes super crazy and weird and no one really knows why we do them anymore. Have you ever thought about the fact that it is weird for other nationalities? I hadn’t before I had this experience.

Well, now you know which Czech tradition is weird to other people.