Holidays Christmas & Advent Culture & Science

Czech Retro Christmas in Pictures

Would you like to know what the Christmas season looked like in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic? Let’s take a look at the Retro Christmas from several decades ago.

retro christmas

Oranges only at Christmas, fish soup served from the same set of plates throughout the country, later then Mrazík and Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella on TV (if you had TV), maybe a walk-man if you somehow got the alternative currency bony and could afford to buy something from Tuzex, fashionable shoes from West Germany if you were lucky enough to have a contact there…but for the children just as magical as can be. This is the Czech Retro Christmas in Pictures.

retro christmas

Andělské zvonění (literally, “angel ringing”) is a beloved Christmas table decoration where the heat from the candles puts the carousel on top in motion and the chains from the carousel make the bells ring.

retro christmas retro christmas

Many families still use Christmas cookie cutters and molds that are generations old.

retro christmas retro christmas

retro christmas

Vánoční kolekce or Christmas collection is a set of edible decoration that can still be found on many Czech Christmas trees today.

retro christmas

retro christmas

Traditional Christmas tree decorations were made from glass and many families still have them today.

retro christmas retro christmas

Typically, the top of the Christmas tree was (and in some families still is) decorated with the so called špica or špice and children liked to make paper chains to decorate not only the tree but also the whole home.

Ethnographic museum in Přerov nad Labem

Retro gift paper. Some moms and grandmothers tried to save it for next year…

Sparklers are very popular also today.

Candle in a nutshell – popular Christmas tradition

retro christmas

Children often used to go sledging without any adult supervision.

retro christmas

Retro calendar – December

retro christmas

Retro Christmas postcard

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