Onions, Snails, & More: Lost Czech Christmas Traditions

A lot of ink—and blood—is spilled over the carp tradition around this time of year but there are some lesser-known Czech customs worth mentioning that may even surprise those of us who have lived here long enough to have heard them all.

While we know that the Czech Republic is a significant exporter of this delicacy, we didn’t know that snails were once an essential part of the Christmas feast.

The first mention of their consumption in the Czech lands dates to the 16th century when snails appeared on the table of Bohemian nobles the Rosenbergs; they later became a typical Christmas and Lenten dish that was also served at Easter.

The most popular preparation for Czech snails is Escargot Bourguignon (Snails a la Burgundy), braised in wine and served with melted garlic butter.

Customs that forecast the future make up an important part of the Czech holiday celebration: a sliced apple can predict your fate, shapes formed by pouring molten lead into water foretell the year’s events, and even what you eat on the first day of the new year can determine your luck (skip anything with wings according to Czech superstition or yours will fly away).

Sprinkle a little salt onto each onion portion on Christmas and leave overnight. In the morning, take note of those onion pieces where the salt is noticeably wet, rain can be expected during those months; plan your vacation, wedding or traveling dates for months where the salt remains dry.

Torn between two loves? This Christmastime Czech folk tradition may have a solution to your troubles. Historically, unmarried women who needed to decide between two suitors wrote names on slips of papers that were then boiled into dumplings during the holiday season. The lucky suitor who selected the dumpling filled with his name captured the single lady’s hand.