What Did You Do for the Holidays?

Many people have asked, "How did you spend your Christmas and New Year's? Do Czechs celebrate Christmas? Were you homesick?" To simply answer these questions: I spent Christmas with a wonderful Czech family from my church (therefore, yes, Czechs do celebrate Christmas), I spent New Year's with 28 young adult Czechs and I wouldn't have done it any other way, and I wasn't as homesick as I thought I would be. I am coming to realize that homesickness can sometimes be a choice. I am grateful I was able to communicate with my family over the holidays but I chose to focus on making the most of my holiday time in the Czech Republic. And I'm very glad that I did.

So...how did I celebrate Christmas and New Year's CZ style? I'm going to try to tell you...

Czechs celebrate on the 24^th and then the 25^th is a laid back day. Sandra, Honza and I decorated the Christmas tree which, in some homes, will be left up in until February. We hung chocolate wrapped in colorful tin foil on their tree. Peki, Honza and I went to the town square (the family lives outside of Prague) to take home Bethelem's light and sing Czech Christmas Carols. I then helped wrap presents. There is no Santa Claus here. Ježíšek (little Jesus) brings the gifts so you never know who gave you the gifts you receive. As a family, we sang Czech Christmas songs and read the Bible out loud. We sat down for the big Christmas supper of fried Carp (fish), fish soup, and potato salad. Carp has a ton of bones in it so you have to be very careful while eating. I didn't choke on a bone and the meal was delicious. We then sat around and opened gifts. The oldest person opens their gifts first. I stifled the realization that I was the oldest young adult after parents and grandparents and opened the gifts that I was not expecting to receive. They were very heartfelt and I will cherish these gifts. Still recovering from a sinus infection, I went to bed before 10pm. The next morning, Sandra informed me that they stayed up until 1am talking. I then went to church with Honza, Sandra, and their grandparents.

And this is how I spent New Years’ Eve. I was with my Mládež (all 29 of us in one medium size house in the snowy mountains). We had a Wild Western themed party and at 11pm we put on our winter clothes and walked in the snow to an open field. We set off fireworks and lit sparklers. We sent a Chinese lantern up into the air as well. We prayed in a circle and sang a praise song in Czech. All across the countryside you saw fireworks going off. It was beautiful! We went around hugging each other wishing a happy new year. It’s the most hugs I’ve received at one time in a year and people were saying “I’m so glad you are here!” I’ll never forget this experience. We then walked back to the house and were told to choose a bookmark with a verse on it that will be our verse for the year and then took time to write compliments on papers for each other.

A verse for the year... I have never heard of this custom but I'm learning to love it. My verse is Žalm 119, 18 Otevři mi oči, at' mám na zřeteli divy ze Zákona tvého. Now for the English speakers: Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law - Psalm 119:18. I am excited to focus on this verse for the year and see what God has to show me.

Our Mládež has also chosen a theme verse for the year. To je 1 Tesalonickým 3, 13 at' posílí vaše srdce, abyste byli bezúhonní a svatí před Bohem, naším Otcem, až přijde naš Pan Ježíš se vsšmi svými svatými. It is 1 Thessalonians 3:13 May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones. Pray for our group as we discover what this means for us.

I'd like to encourage you to find a verse to focus on this year. I think I'll be keeping this Czech custom in my life.