Czech Republic Holidays

The Czech Republic has 13 national holidays, marking either historical anniversaries or Christian festivals.
In Prague, expect government buildings, offices, and banks to close. Most shops also shut, although some larger stores and supermarkets should stay open, especially in the center. Most restaurants and pubs should also stay open.
Expect more limited opening hours, however, on December 24, December 25, December 31 and January 1.
Also, remember that Czech holidays are observed on the day they fall in the calendar. If that's a Saturday or a Sunday, you probably won't be getting time off work. (In 2009, the July 5 and December 26 holidays both fall on weekends.)

JANUARY
Thursday the 1st
New Year's Day/Czech Republic Independence Day
As well as marking the start of the new year, this holiday now also marks the anniversary of the 1993 Czech-Slovak "Velvet Divorce." The start of the new year is usually marked by a major fireworks display on Letenské sady.

APRIL
Sunday the 12th & Monday the 13th
Easter Sunday & Easter Monday
Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, as calculated by the Western Church, are Czech public holidays -- though only the Monday, of course, gets you an extra day off work. For more on local traditions, see our Easter in Prague article.

MAY
Friday the 1st
Labor Day
Closely linked with the Soviet era, the Labor Day tradition actually dates back to 19th-century Chicago, where a general strike ended in the infamous 1886 Haymarket Riot. Post-1989, May 1 has become a day for rallies and demonstrations and, less traditionally, Prague TV's own Chicken Day celebration.

Friday the 8th
Victory in Europe Day
In Communist-era Czechoslovakia, this public holiday marking the end of World War II was originally celebrated on May 9, as it was in the Soviet Union. In 1991, VE Day was brought forward to May 8, the day observed by the Western allies.

JULY
Sunday the 5th
Saints Cyril & Methodius Day
July honors ninth-century missionaries Cyril and Methodius. Cyril created the first written Slavic alphabet, which his brother Methodius used to make the first Slavic translation of the Bible.

Monday the 6th
Jan Hus Day
A religious reformer, Hus challenged the Catholic church, preaching in Czech rather than Latin, and campaigning against corruption. He was burned at the stake in 1415 -- an event this holiday commemorates. Since his death, Hus has become a national hero, and his statue now stands in Old Town Square.

SEPTEMBER
Monday the 28th
Czech Statehood Day (St. Wenceslas's Day)
As a result of a political compromise, this public holiday celebrating the Czechs' patron saint doesn't actually bear his name. (Left-wing parties were uncomfortable with Nazi exploitation of St. Wenceslas's Day under German occupation.) A 10th-century Bohemian prince, Wenceslas (Václav in Czech) was murdered because of his Christian beliefs. Prague's main square bears both his name and an iconic horseback statue of the saint. He's also immortalized in the (historically inaccurate) Christmas carol Good King Wenceslas.

OCTOBER
Wednesday the 28th
Czechoslovak Independence Day
October 28 marks the creation of Czechoslovakia, in 1918, even though the country no longer exists. Prior to World War I, the Czech and Slovak lands had, for several centuries, been part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Czechoslovakia split into two parts -- the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic -- following 1993's "Velvet Divorce."

NOVEMBER
Tuesday the 17th
Day of the Students' Battle for Freedom and Democracy

November 17 is effectively the Czech Republic's "Velvet Revolution" holiday, marking the Communist regime's brutal suppression of a 1989 student demonstration, and also the 1939 protest that that march commemorated. In '89, as a result of the police's actions, the dissident movement gained almost-immediate mass support, and the regime would last only a few more weeks. For more on 1989, see our Revolutionary Walkabout article.

DECEMBER
Thursday the 24th, Friday the 25th & Saturday the 26th
Christmas
Christmas is a three-day public holiday in the Czech Republic, beginning on December 24 with Štědrý den ("Generous Day"), when families traditionally sit down to Christmas dinner and exchange gifts. The following two days, known as 1. svátek vánoční and 2. svátek vánoční ("First Christmas Day" and "Second Christmas Day"), are quieter affairs. For more on this, see our Czech Christmas Traditions article.