This past week in my Czech culture class, our teacher told us about one of the biggest holidays in the Czech Republic: Dušičky (doo-shitch-kee), which means “little souls.” The official name is Památka zesnulých (pat-maht-kah zess-noo-leekh), or “Remembrance of Those Who Have Passed.” I thought it was really interesting to learn that this holiday was introduced to the Czech Republic way back in 998 by Abbot Odilo of Cluny! Dušičky is celebrated on November 2nd and is actually part of a three-day celebration that includes All Hallows’ Eve, All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day.
A lot of people compare Dušičky to Halloween because they happen around the same time, but they are really different. All Souls’ Day is about remembering and honoring loved ones who have passed away, while Halloween comes from old pagan traditions and is mostly about costumes and candy. I did see kids dressed up in costumes on October 31st, but Halloween isn’t a traditional Czech holiday—it’s more of a new, fun trend that has caught on recently. Dušičky, on the other hand, is a calm, meaningful day for families to be together and remember those they’ve lost.
