September 28th: St. Wenceslas Day – Statehood Day /No Classes/

On September 28th, the national Czech Statehood Day holiday, also known as the ‘Feast of St. Wenceslas’ is celebrated in the Czech Republic. The holiday has been held as a national holiday since 2000. The day is both a celebration of the foundation of the Czech Republic as well as the commemoration of one of the most prominent historical figures, the patron saint of Bohemia, Wenceslas.

>> PLEASE NOTE: Being a combination of state celebrations and religious observances, the holiday is thus important enough to merit the closure of retail stores larger than 200 square meters. This also applies to you: there are NO CLASSES or OFFICE HOURS on this day. 

? Did you know ?

  • On the eve before Sep 28, the archbishop of Prague brings the Cranium of St. Wenceslas to the Saint Wenceslas Basilica as part of a pilgrimage and on Sep 28, the skull is paraded through the town of Brandýs nad Labem-Stará Boleslav where the saint was murdered by his own brother Boleslav’s henchmen.
  • On Sep 28, at Prague Castle, the President bestows the St. Wenceslas medal on those who contributed significantly to the country’s statehood.
  • You can see his most famous statue in Prague at the top of Wenceslas Square, in front of the National Museum.
September 28th: St. Wenceslas Day – Statehood Day /No Classes/