Christmas in the Czech Republic comes with an unexpected star of the table: carp. Not turkey, not ham—carp. Every December, cities like Prague and Ceský Krumlov shimmer with fairy lights, mulled wine stands, and—most intriguingly—street vendors selling live carp from giant water tanks. “We, Czechs, love our carp,” says Jan, a walking-tour guide in Ceský Krumlov. “We have been eating it for centuries, but we are still not tired of it… just walk into any hospoda and ask for carp any day. You won’t be disappointed.”
But eating carp is only half the story. The other half? It unfolds in the bathroom. For generations, families have brought home a live carp and let it paddle around in the household bathtub until Christmas Eve. “This is a fun tradition,” says Dana Horalíková, a Prague resident and founder of Prague Behind The Scenes.
According to folklore, the carp needed a couple of days in clean water to rid itself of a muddy flavour. Some households eventually released their would-be meal into nearby ponds, granting the fish an unexpected holiday reprieve. Others followed tradition to the letter and prepared it for their festive feast.
At the table, symbolism swims alongside nostalgia. Carp scales tucked under plates—and later slipped into wallets—are said to bring prosperity. “The scales symbolise coins and financial prosperity for the coming year,” Horalíková explains.
Of course, carp comes with practical challenges. It’s a famously bony fish—“the bones can be small, tricky, and dangerous, especially for small kids,” notes Horalíková. Czech emergency rooms reportedly brace for a seasonal spike in fish-bone mishaps. As a result, modern shoppers increasingly choose pre-cleaned carp or switch to salmon.
Though eaten as early as the 17th century, the dish rose to fame in the 19th century, when the Catholic Church’s Advent fasting rules made fish—rather than meat—the practical choice. Czechia’s abundance of ponds (especially in South Bohemia’s UNESCO-listed Trebon Basin) turned carp into an accessible, affordable Christmas staple. “We don’t have the sea,” Horalíková reminds me. “Therefore, carp breeding in ponds is quite common.”
Today, Czechia is Europe’s largest carp exporter and one of the world’s top freshwater fish producers. And every year, on Christmas Eve, fried carp with potato salad still anchors tables across the country—alongside richer versions like black carp stewed with gingerbread, dried fruit, and nuts, or fragrant carp soup simmered with spices. Czechia proudly keeps Christmas deliciously—and delightfully—different.