1 January has a double meaning in Czechia. It is New Year’s Day (Nový rok), when people recover from New Year’s Eve and look ahead to the year to come, but it is also Restoration Day of the Independent Czech State (Den obnovy samostatného českého státu). The second observance remembers the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia and the creation of the independent Czech Republic on 1 January 1993.
For visitors, the combination makes the day more interesting than an ordinary New Year’s holiday. It is both a familiar international celebration and a date tied directly to modern Czech statehood.
What is celebrated on 1 January?
At midnight on 31 December, Czechs welcome the New Year much as people do elsewhere in Europe: with parties, sparkling wine, fireworks or public celebrations, and wishes of health and good fortune. By the morning of 1 January, the atmosphere is normally much quieter. Many people spend the day at home, take a walk, visit relatives, or make a short winter trip.
The state-holiday dimension comes from the end of Czechoslovakia. At midnight between 31 December 1992 and 1 January 1993, the Czech Republic and Slovakia became two independent countries. The Czech holiday therefore commemorates the restoration of an independent Czech state while also marking the first day of the calendar year.
This is a civic rather than military celebration. You are more likely to encounter flags, official statements and historical references than large parades.
Czech New Year traditions
A very Czech New Year custom is eating lentils. Their small round shape is traditionally associated with coins, so eating lentils on 1 January is meant to encourage prosperity in the coming year. Recipes vary: lentils may be served as a simple stew or salad, often with egg, sausage or smoked meat depending on the household.
New Year greetings are also common. Czech cards and messages frequently use the abbreviation PF, from the French pour féliciter. You may see combinations such as “PF 2027” on cards, company emails and social-media posts throughout December and early January.
The day is otherwise relaxed. After the intensity of Christmas and New Year’s Eve, many families treat 1 January as a recovery day: a late lunch, television, a winter walk or a trip to a lookout point are typical choices.
Food and drink
Lentils are the clearest food tradition associated specifically with New Year’s Day. There is no single compulsory menu, and households often use leftovers from the Christmas period or prepare hearty winter food.
If you are visiting Czechia, this is a good day to look for Czech comfort dishes in restaurants that choose to open. Beer, sparkling wine and leftover Christmas sweets may still appear at family tables, but the atmosphere is generally less elaborate than Christmas Eve.
What to do on New Year’s Day
For visitors, 1 January can be well suited to a slower itinerary:
- walk through a historic centre after the New Year’s Eve crowds have dispersed;
- visit a castle, museum, zoo or lookout point that advertises special New Year opening;
- take a winter hike if weather conditions are suitable;
- learn about the 1993 creation of the Czech Republic and the peaceful split of Czechoslovakia;
- enjoy a long lunch rather than relying on a full day of shopping.
Opening hours vary significantly, so check attractions and restaurants directly before travelling.
Are shops open on 1 January?
For retail planning, 1 January is one of the Czech holidays on which large stores over 200 m² are normally required to close. Statutory exceptions exist, including some petrol stations, pharmacies and shops in certain transport locations. Smaller shops may also operate.
The retailer table on this page should be treated as the practical reference for the major supermarket chains. Complete grocery shopping on 31 December if you depend on a large supermarket.
Why the holiday matters
For foreigners living in Czechia, 1 January is a useful reminder that the Czech Republic in its present form is relatively young. Its modern independence dates from 1993, even though Czech statehood, culture and political institutions have much older roots.
That mix of old and new is characteristic of the Czech holiday calendar: a modern constitutional anniversary is observed on the same day as one of the world’s oldest and most universal calendar celebrations.