Czech Republic: Culture and Society

Czech Republic culture has held true through centuries of change. Whether it be government changes, war or protest, the hearts of Czechs have held fast to their values, traditions and interests. Czechs are private people until they get to know you. They are formal and reserved. Once you develop a personal relationship Czechs open up a bit, but they are never overly emotional. Although always polite, they seldom move to a first-name basis with people outside their extended family or very close friends. Czechs tend not to acknowledge people whom they do not know as they walk along the street or ride the train. Czech Republic culture is filled with arts and cultural events. Czechs are mad about football (soccer) and hockey. The national teams for both sports are well respected worldwide and always have a huge following locally. The national pastime of Czech Republic is Mushroom Picking. Czechs hunt the forests for free mushrooms every year. Czech Republic has the highest beer consumption in the world. Czech beer is like water to many citizens - it's just a basic way of life. Prague has hundreds of pubs and places to have a drink. From a beer in the morning to wine at dinner, Czechs like to drink.