Official feasts used to be an important part of the human community. People would gather together to remember something sacred, express their faith and hope for the future, and / or just be together formally, recognizing each other as being part of a shared community. Few things express a desire for shared companionship and social intimacy more than dining together. Sadly, the gathering together for feasting is increasingly a relic of the past – at least here in the West.
It need not be so! Today we will remember the ancient feasts.
The Feast Day of Saint Wenceslaus
This is a Christian religious celebration of Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, a 10th century Prince of Bohemia who was killed by his younger brother, Boleslaus the Cruel.. He was immediately deemed a Christian martyr and was posthumously declared a King and Patron Saint of the Czech state.
You likely have heard of him, due to the fact he is the subject of the famous English Christmas carol, “Good King Wenceslaus.” He is the Patron saint of Prague, Bohemia, and the Czech Republic.
Wenceslaus I (Czech: Václav[ˈvaːtslaf]ⓘ; c. 907 – 28 September 935), Wenceslas I or Václav the Good was the Prince (kníže) of Bohemia from 921 until his death, probably in 935. According to the legend, he was assassinated by his younger brother, Boleslaus the Cruel.
His martyrdom and the popularity of several biographies gave rise to a reputation for heroic virtue that resulted in his sainthood. He was posthumously declared to be a king and patron saint of the Czech state. He is the subject of the well-known “Good King Wenceslas“, a carol for Saint Stephen’s Day.
In 921, when Wenceslaus was about 13, his father died and his grandmother became regent. Jealous of the influence Ludmila wielded over Wenceslaus, Drahomíra arranged to have her killed. Ludmila was at Tetín Castle near Beroun when assassins murdered her on 15 September 921. She is said to have been strangled by them with her veil. She was at first buried in the church of St. Michael at Tetín, but her remains were later removed, probably by Wenceslaus, to the church of St. George in Prague, which had been built by his father.
Drahomíra then assumed the role of regent and immediately initiated measures against Christians. When Wenceslaus was 18, those Christian nobles who remained rebelled against Drahomira. The uprising was successful, and Drahomira was sent into exile to Budeč.
Reign
Seal of Wenceslaus I
With the support of the nobles, Wenceslaus took control of the government. He reined in the dependent dukes who had become restive under the regency and used Christianity to strengthen his state.”
After the fall of Great Moravia, the rulers of the Bohemian Duchy had to deal both with continuous raids by the Magyars and the forces of the Saxon and East Frankish king Henry the Fowler, who had started several eastern campaigns into the adjacent lands of the Polabian Slavs, homeland of Wenceslaus’s mother. To withstand Saxon overlordship, Wenceslaus’s father Vratislaus had forged an alliance with the Bavarian duke Arnulf, a fierce opponent of King Henry at that time. The alliance became worthless, however, when Arnulf and Henry reconciled at Regensburg in 921.
Early in 929, the joint forces of Duke Arnulf of Bavaria and King Henry I the Fowler reached Prague in a sudden attack that forced Wenceslaus to resume the payment of a tribute first imposed by the East Frankish king Arnulf of Carinthia in 895. Henry had been forced to pay a huge tribute to the Magyars in 926 and needed the Bohemian tribute, which Wenceslaus probably refused to pay after the reconciliation between Arnulf and Henry. Another possible reason for the attack was the formation of the anti-Saxon alliance between Bohemia, the Polabian Slavs, and the Magyars.
Wenceslaus introduced German priests into his realm and favoured the Latin rite instead of the old Slavic, which had gone into disuse in many places for want of priests. He also founded a rotunda consecrated to St. Vitus at Prague Castle in Prague that was the basis of present-day St. Vitus Cathedral.
Assassination
Wenceslaus flees from his brother who is wielding a sword, but the priest closes the door of the church (from Gumpold’s Codex)
In September 935, a group of nobles allied with Wenceslaus’s younger brother Boleslav plotted to kill him. After Boleslav invited Wenceslaus to a celebration of the feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Stará Boleslav, three of Boleslav’s companions (Tira, Česta, and Hněvsa) fell on the duke and stabbed him to death. As the duke fell, Boleslav ran him through with a lance.
According to Cosmas of Prague, in his Chronica Boëmorum of the early 12th century, one of Boleslav’s sons was born on the day of Wenceslaus’s death. Because of the ominous circumstance of his birth, the infant was named Strachkvas, which means “a dreadful feast”.
There is also a tradition that Wenceslaus’s loyal servant Podevin avenged his death by killing one of the chief conspirators, an act for which he was executed by Boleslav.
The assassination of Wenceslaus has been characterized as an important turning point in early Bohemian history, as the rule of Boleslav I saw him renounce the Franks, centralize power in Bohemia and expand the territory of the polity.
Veneration
Saint Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, venerated as Saint Wenceslaus or Wenceslas
Wenceslaus was considered a martyr and saint immediately after his death, when a cult of Wenceslaus grew up in Bohemia. Within a few decades, four biographies of him were in circulation. These hagiographies had a powerful influence on the High Middle Ages concept of the rex justus (righteous king), a monarch whose power stems mainly from his great piety as well as his princely vigor.
Referring approvingly to these hagiographies, the chronicler Cosmas of Prague, writing in about the year 1119, states:
But his deeds I think you know better than I could tell you; for, as is read in his Passion, no one doubts that, rising every night from his noble bed, with bare feet and only one chamberlain, he went around to God’s churches and gave alms generously to widows, orphans, those in prison and afflicted by every difficulty, so much so that he was considered, not a prince, but the father of all the wretched.
Several centuries later this legend was asserted as fact by Pope Pius II.
Although Wenceslaus was only a duke during his lifetime, Holy Roman Emperor Otto I posthumously “conferred on [Wenceslaus] the regal dignity and title”, which is why he is referred to as “king” in legend and song.
The hymn “Svatý Václave” (Saint Wenceslaus) or “Saint Wenceslas Chorale” is one of the oldest known Czech songs. Traceable to the 12th century AD, it is still among the most popular religious songs in the Bohemian lands. In 1918, at the founding of the modern Czechoslovak state, the song was discussed as a possible choice for the national anthem. During the Nazi occupation, it was often played along with the Czech anthem.
Cardinal Miloslav Vlk with the crowned skull of Saint Wenceslaus during a procession on 28 September 2006
Legends of Wenceslaus began to appear around the second half of the 10th century, several decades after his death, and spread throughout both Bohemia and abroad, including Italy, Germany, and even Russia. Such legends include the first Old Slavic legend from the 10th century, the Latin legend Crescente fide, Gumpold’s legend, and Christian’s legend.
According to legend, one Count Radislas rose in rebellion and marched against King Wenceslaus. The latter sent a deputation with offers of peace, but Radislas viewed this as a sign of cowardice. The two armies were drawn up opposite each other in battle array, when Wenceslaus, to avoid shedding innocent blood, challenged Radislas to single combat. As Radislas advanced toward the king, he saw by Wenceslaus’s side two angels, who cried: “Stand off!” Thunderstruck, Radislas repented his rebellion, threw himself from his horse at Wenceslaus’s feet, and asked for pardon. Wenceslaus raised him and kindly received him again into favour.
A second enduring legend claims an army of knights sleeps under Blaník, a mountain in the Czech Republic. They will awake and, under the command of Wenceslaus, bring aid to the Czech people in their ultimate danger. There is a similar legend in Prague which says that when the Motherland is in danger or in its darkest times and close to ruin, the equestrian statue of King Wenceslaus in Wenceslaus Square will come to life, raise the army sleeping in Blaník, and upon crossing the Charles Bridge his horse will stumble and trip over a stone, revealing the legendary sword of Bruncvík. With this sword, King Wenceslaus will slay all the enemies of the Czechs, bringing peace and prosperity to the land.
Legacy
Wenceslaus is the subject of the popular Saint Stephen’s Day (celebrated on December 26 in the West) carol “Good King Wenceslas“. It was published by John Mason Neale in 1853, and may be a translation of a poem by Czech poet Václav Alois Svoboda. A supposed American spelling of the duke’s name, “Wenceslaus,” is occasionally encountered in later textual variants of the carol, although it was not used by Neale in his version, and in the U.S. the name usually is spelled Wenceslas, as in the carol. Wenceslaus is not to be confused with King Wenceslaus I of Bohemia (Wenceslaus I Premyslid), who lived more than three centuries later.
At the beginning of the Hussite Wars Wenceslaus’s name was often invoked, and it was only later that he was overshadowed by Hussite warrior Jan Žižka. Later, even when the Hussites and Protestants gained the upper hand in Bohemia and the cult of Wenceslaus faded, he still remained a venerated figure throughout Bohemia, with Jan Hus himself often referencing Wenceslaus in his sermons. During the reign of Charles IV, Wenceslaus’s image as a saint and martyr was often employed by Charles in his enterprises both at home and abroad, and in later years when the systematic Germanization of Bohemia began, Wenceslaus came to be considered a representation of the Czech national consciousness.
An equestrian statue of Saint Wenceslaus and other patrons of Bohemia (St. Adalbert, St. Ludmila, St. Prokop and St. Agnes of Bohemia) are located on Wenceslaus Square in Prague. The statue is a popular meeting place in Prague. Demonstrations against the Communist regime were held there.
His helmet and armour are on display inside Prague Castle.
In popular culture
The lavish 1930 silent film St. Wenceslas was at the time the most expensive Czech film ever made.
Ogden Nash wrote a comic epic poem, “The Christmas that Almost Wasn’t” (1957), in which a boy awakens Wenceslaus and his knights to save the kingdom of Lullapat from usurpers who have outlawed Christmas, with elements from the legend of Wenceslas.
The 1994 television film, Good King Wenceslas, is a highly fictional account of his early life. The film stars Jonathan Brandis in the title role, supported by Leo McKern, Stefanie Powers, and Joan Fontaine as Ludmila.
What is a food to eat when celebrating the Feast Day of St. Wenceslaus?
When telling the tale of Saint Wenceslaus, you might want to use a dish near and dear to the people in the place from where he came. To that end, I decided to look through some traditional Czech recipes until I found one that looked appropriate as a feast food fit for a king. I think I picked a good one. However, this is relatively labor intensive, so the instructions below are lengthy and detailed. I definitely recommend following the link below to get even more help than what I provided below:
Svíčková na smetaně (Roast Sirloin in Sour Cream Sauce)
Svíčková is a classic Czech creamy sauce of root vegetables, thickened with roux, and softened with cream. The exact translation into English might be “Beef sirloin in cream sauce”, as the dish also includes slow-braised beef. Usually accompanying the sauce are the famous bread dumplings.
Svíčková is a festive dish in the Czech Republic, often served as the main course at essential celebrations or weddings.
Svíčková is a festive dish in the Czech Republic, often served as the main course at essential celebrations or weddings.
Ingredients
Beef; many respected Czech cooks recommend top blade or bolar blade; in this recipe, I used a piece of the top blade (loupaná plec in Czech)
Heavy cream; must contain at least 30 % or more milk fat
Vinegar
Lemon juice; for final seasoning
For roux: unsalted butter and all-purpose flour
Spices: bay leaves, peppercorn (black pepper berries), allspice balls
Salt and ground pepper
Tips
1. The sauce is NOT thickened with roux.
To thicken svickova, mixing the vegetables and cream only at the end of cooking is not enough. In this case, the liquid separates from the vegetables and will be absorbed by the dumplings. The result won’t look nearly good enough.
Roux is a must; it brings the sauce together and gives it its typical satin texture. In Czech is roux known as “jíška” or “zásmažka”.
2. The base with vegetables is NOT sauteed & seasoned well initially.
You can’t throw vegetables into a pot and expect the svickova sauce to appear in the pot at the end of cooking magically. As a first step, you must sauté diced vegetables with butter and season them with sugar, salt, and vinegar.
It takes some time, but if you do this part faithfully, svíčková’s taste will be strong and darn delicious from the very beginning!
Directions (with photos)
NOTE: Please note that preparing svíčková can take anywhere from 3 to 3.5 hours, so plan ahead.
STEP 1: Lard the beef with stripes of fat bacon
Cut fat bacon into ⅓-inch thick and about 4-inch long pieces and put them into a freezer for 30 minutes to harden them.
Use a thin knife with a long edge and make some holes in the meat.
Stick your index finger inside each hole and wiggle it, so the hole enlarges.
You can make holes in both sides of the beef.
Once you have the holes ready, press in stripes of fat bacon.
Note: The larding can be kind of labor-intensive. Because I don’t own any larding needle, I only used a knife and my fingers.
Optionally, tie the irregular-shaped meat with a cooking string (kitchen twine) for a better shape.
After the meat is larded (and tied if you did it), salt and pepper it properly from all sides:
STEP 2: Prepare the vegetables and spices
Peel the carrot, parsley root, and celeriac, and dice them into ½-inch pieces.
Peel onions and chop them roughly. Peel an apple and dice it.
If possible, tie the spices tightly to a clean canvas; you will place the canvas with spices into a pot later.
I used my old tea strainer for allspice balls and peppercorn and put the bay leaves free into a pot:
STEP 3: Brown the beef
In a large heavy pot, melt lard over higher heat and sear the beef from all sides until brown. Remove the browned meat and set it aside.
STEP 4: Sauté the vegetables
Use the same pot that we used to prepare the meat. Reduce temperature to medium heat, and add butter and any leftover fat bacon from larding.
Add diced carrots, parsley roots, and celeriac. Cook until slightly golden, stirring occasionally.
STEP 5: Add onions and apple
Throw chopped onions to vegetables, add a diced apple and cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
STEP 6: Add sugar and vinegar
Add sugar, mix, and let it melt & caramelize while occasionally stirring. Count on 3-5 minutes.
Pour in vinegar, mix, and let vinegar evaporate while stirring, so that there are only vegetables with melted sugar and some fat on the bottom of the pot. It takes a few minutes. If the vinegar stayed in the vegetables, the sauce would taste too sour!
Add 1 teaspoon of salt and mix it.
Voilà, the base for great svíčková is ready!
STEP 7: Return the browned beef to a pot
Return the browned beef to a pot with vegetables, and pour over hot water until you have the meat almost submerged.
Add 1 teaspoon of salt and spices.
Count the number of bay leaves if you add them to the pot freely! You need to remove them all later before the final mixing of svíčková sauce.
STEP 8: Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a minimum. Cover with a lid and allow it to simmer for 2,5 hours until beef softens.
STEP 9: Remove the spices, especially all bay leaves. Remove ¼ of the vegetables and discard them. If you left all the vegetables in the sauce, svíčková would taste too much like the vegetables, and it would be too dense. Take out the beef and keep it in a warm place.
STEP 10: Make the roux
In a pan, melt butter on medium heat.
Add flour, and frequently mix until lightly golden.
Get a sieve, put roux in it, submerge into the svíčková, and press roux through the sieve. Continuously mix the roux in the sauce.
STEP 11: Bring the pot back on a stove, and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Stir occasionally because the roux tends to sit down and stick to the bottom of the pot.
The roux loses its floury taste after about 15 minutes of simmering. It thickens the sauce, whose texture will be very smooth and silky.
STEP 12: Add heavy cream into the sauce and stir; no more cooking!
STEP 13: Mix everything with an immersion blender and strain the sauce into a clean pot. Season with lemon juice and salt to your liking.
Serve with bread dumplings and a slice of beef.
You can also garnish the svíčková with a slice of lemon, a whipped cream scoop, and a spoon of canned cranberries. This type of garnishing is called “terčík” in Czech. I personally garnish svíčková with lemon and cranberry jam only.
What is a prayer to say on the Feast Day of Saint Wenceslaus?
St. Wenceslaus, thou wert born in Bohemia, son of the Duke. Thy grandfather had been converted by Saints Cyril and Methodius and thy mother was baptised upon her marriage to thine father. Thou wert brought up by St. Ludmilla, who educated thee as a Christian. However, after thy father’s death when thou wert thirteen, thy grandmother became regent. Thy mother, resentful of her power, arranged to have her killed. Having reverted back to paganism, she thwarted all attempts at evangelizing throughout Bohemia. When thou came of age at eighteen, thou deposed thy mother and took over as Duke.
As a ruler, thou wert known for thy virtue, thy generosity in almsgiving, and thy deep spiritual life. Thou didst workest at spreading Christianity throughout thine realm. However, thy brother and some disgruntled nobles invited thee over for the feast of St. Cosmas and Damian. On thy way to Mass thou wert assassinated. Thou forgavest thy brother as thou lay dying.
St. Wenceslaus, thou wert an intelligent and peaceable ruler, pious and forgiving of wrongs. Pray for all our leaders today, that they may be compassionate and kind, shrewd but noble, and that they may follow the morality of the Christian religion. St. Wenceslaus, thou wert declared a martyr and a saint immediately upon thine death. Pray for all persecuted Christians, that they may persevere in the faith until their death. St. Wenceslaus, thou now reign with Christ forever in heaven. Please intercede for us in the matters we bring before thee this day. Amen.
St. Wenceslas, pray for us!
When is the Feast day of Saint Wenceslaus celebrated?
This feast day occurs annually on 28 September.
I hope that everyone who celebrates has a wonderful day!
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