Czech Christmas dinner: carp, potato salad and a tin of cookies

On 24 December, Czech families sit down to fried fish and potato salad. If you grew up on roast turkey on the 25th, it can feel odd. If you did not, it feels like home.

The dinner on 24 December

The big meal is on the evening of Štědrý večer (Christmas Eve), not on 25 December. The traditional menu starts with fish soup (rybí polévka), often made from carp trimmings. The main course is fried carp (smažený kapr), breaded and fried in oil or lard, and the side is potato salad (bramborový salát) with mayonnaise, pickles, carrots and peas.

Many families fast during the day, an old custom, so that everyone comes to the table hungry. Some families skip carp and serve schnitzel or another fish. If you are invited, expect this core and a lot of seconds.

The carp

Carp farming in Bohemia goes back many centuries, with ponds built specially for fish. In the weeks before Christmas, live carp are sold in tanks, in shops and at street stalls. Some families keep the fish in a bath for a few days before cooking. The customs around it vary: in some homes children name the fish, in others a scale is placed under the plate or in a purse for luck.

Rules for selling live fish and how the fish may be killed are set by Czech law and change, so if you plan to buy one, check with the seller and the official source (as of 2026; check the Ministry of Agriculture). Many people today buy a filleted fish and skip the live part, and supermarkets sell the fillets and soup ingredients. If you are not used to freshwater fish, expect a mild, slightly earthy taste and a lot of small bones, so eat slowly.

Potato salad

Every family has its own recipe. The usual ingredients are boiled potatoes, boiled root vegetables, pickles, sometimes apple or egg, with mayonnaise. The salad is made the day before so that the flavours settle, and a family argument about what belongs in it is part of the tradition. If you are asked to bring it to a party, ask about the recipe, and do not improvise.

Cookies (cukroví)

Christmas cookies are baked in the weeks before the holiday. A family might bake a dozen varieties, stored in tins and offered to every visitor. Common ones include linecké, jam-filled shortbread rounds; vanilkové rohlíčky, vanilla crescents; perníčky, gingerbread; and vosí hnízda ("wasps' nests"), little nut and caramel cones. If you are in Prague in December, bakeries also sell cookies by weight, which is the easiest way to taste several kinds without a baking day.

Vánočka and other sweet things

The sweet braided bread is vánočka, sold in bakeries in December. Fruit, nuts and apples are laid on the table, and some families cut an apple in half to see the shape of the core. The pattern is a bit of fun and is said to predict the coming year.

Drinks

Hot drinks are the same as at the markets: see mulled wine and hot drinks in Prague winter. Many families serve wine and a small spirit with the meal or afterwards.

If you are invited

An invitation to a Czech Christmas Eve is a family one, so treat it as an honour. Arrive on time, bring something small for the host (a bottle, flowers or a box of pastries from a bakery) and expect the evening to be long and unhurried. The meal is eaten slowly, with the soup first, and the presents follow later. If you do not eat fish, say so in advance; a good host will have a schnitzel ready, and will not take offence. Do not offer to cook. The menu is fixed, and the family has a view.

Common mistakes

The first is treating 25 December as the main day. Czech families have their meal and presents on the evening of the 24th, and many restaurants close that day. The second is leaving it too late to book a Christmas Eve table, if you want a restaurant version: plenty of places are shut, and those that are open fill up. The third is eating cookies one at a time from a plate at a visit and refusing the tin. Take two or three; a host who bakes a dozen varieties wants you to try them.

Where to try it

Many restaurants offer a Christmas Eve menu with carp, but plenty close on 24 December. If you want the real thing, book one that is open, or ask a Czech friend to share the meal. Markets also sell fried fish and fish soup, as described in Christmas markets in Prague. For the wider customs, see Czech Christmas traditions.

Frequently asked questions

When do Czechs eat their Christmas dinner?

On the evening of 24 December (Štědrý večer), not on 25 December.

What is the traditional Czech Christmas meal?

Fish soup, fried carp and potato salad. Some families serve schnitzel or another fish instead.

Can I buy a live carp in Prague?

Yes, in December they are sold from tanks at markets, shops and stalls. Rules on selling and killing them are set by law, so ask the seller. Fillets are widely available.

What are cukroví?

Czech Christmas cookies, baked in many varieties weeks before Christmas and shared with visitors.

Are restaurants open on Christmas Eve?

Many close. Some offer a carp menu, so check and book ahead.

Do this today

Look up the date of the first Christmas market near you, put a cookie bakery on your list, and decide whether you will try carp this year or start with the potato salad.