Prague Culture Shock - Miscellaneous

Shoes


It's common, and expected, that you take off your shoes as you enter any Czech home. Often, "house slippers" are provided that may actually approximate your foot size.




Flowers, Chocolates, and Wine


Whenever you are invited to a party or a dinner at a Czech person's home, it's customary to bring a small gift. All these items are sold nearly everywhere and even people with small budgets can easily bring a treat for their hosts (who have probably spent three days scrubbing the ceilings and making 16 dishes in your honor).




Becherovka vs. Slivovice


These two hearty, fire-breathing drinks are celebrated throughout the country. Becherovka, an aromatic, spicy, aperitif is made in Karlovy Vary, and is very popular in Bohemia, the western half of the Czech Republic, while Slivovice, a vodka-like beverage made from plums, is the poster-child drink of Moravia, the eastern half of the country.



Choose one or the other, but don't combine them; strange things will happen...