Czech Christmas in England: Max is always the first to run to the Christmas tree

Petr, how much time do you usually spend at home at Christmas and how do you cope with your football-related duties?
We have an after-match training session on Tuesday, but I’ll be able to get home after lunch and help finish off the remaining Christmas preparations. Martina’s got everything ready and I won’t be able to help out too much, perhaps decorate the tree at best. We’ve got training on Christmas Eve, though only in the morning, and the next one isn’t until the evening of the 25th. From there we’ll be going to the hotel in preparation for the upcoming game. I’ll be able to stay at home for almost two days, which is nice. Then it’ll get worse, though. We have another game on the 26th, a training session on the following day and are travelling to Southampton right after. We’ll be spending New Year’s at the hotel, too, as we’ve got a game on the 1st, just like last year.
Will the Cech family be celebrating a typical Czech Christmas?
Yes, a traditional one - carp, potato salad, confectionery. Martina was able to get a hold of everything we need, we even got a Czech carp which you can buy online here and have it delivered to your house.
Who brings presents to the children in your family? Is it Baby Jesus (Czech: “Ježíšek”) or Santa Claus?
Most of their friends believe in Santa but in our family it’s Baby Jesus. They’ve got it all a bit mixed up but they know that some kids get presents from Santa on the 25th, while others get them from Baby Jesus on the 24th. Both have pros and cons. The one good thing about Santa is that everyone knows what he’s supposed to look like, but the charm of the Baby Jesus tradition is truly unique.
Which presents are currently your children’s favourite?
It changes as they get older, they start playing with different things. Adela is in the first grade already, she’s turning seven in January, while Damian is five and a half and is a pre-schooler. They really enjoy being toys that allow them to be creative, drawing, and of course Lego’s.
How about sports? Do you teach them to exercise?
We don’t have to force them at all. Thanks to the fact that both Martina and I do sports, our kids enjoy exercising, too. Damian plays football for Chelsea and also plays ice-hockey, which he particularly adores. There’s an ice-hockey club not far away from us and mostly comprises American, Canadian and Nordic kids. The English aren’t huge fans, although they do have three different leagues here. Damian is crazy about both sports. Adela enjoys dancing - she does ballet. In addition, Martina takes them both to exercising classes.
Did you manage to buy presents in advance this year or are you in the process of doing it last minute?
We’ve got everything, we never leave it for the last minute. That’s mainly Martina’s doing, although even I got it out of the way early this year.
What kind of present personally makes you the most happy?
I like surprises, I value any kind of little gift.
Does your eleven years old Labrador Max get presents too?
He’s more excited about Christmas than any of us. He’s always the first one to run to the Christmas tree. He knows very well that there’s always a present waiting for him and tries to sniff it out. It’s the biggest child of our family!
Is anyone coming over from the Czech Republic to join you for Christmas?
Martina’s family is coming over. We were on our own last year, so there will be significantly more of us this time. My parents are coming over in January for Adela’s birthday.