I wish you all the best and many more!

Ahoj! Welcome to ABC of Czech, Radio Prague's special language programme that looks at the Czech language. Today we're looking at wishes - prani in Czech, not the kind that you make to the stars - hvezdy, but those made on special occasions, such as birthdays - narozeniny and, in this traditionally Catholic country, on name days - svatky.

Ahoj! Welcome to ABC of Czech, Radio Prague's special language programme that looks at the Czech language. Today we're looking at wishes - přání in Czech, not the kind that you make to the stars - hvězdy, but those made on special occasions, such as birthdays - narozeniny and, in this traditionally Catholic country, on name days - svátky.

I know this tradition best from my year at a Czech secondary school. When one of my classmates had a name day - svátek, he or she went around the classroom and said, dnes mám svátek - today is my name day, then offered us each a candy. After accepting the candy, and while shaking our classmate's hand, we would say: I wish you all the best on your name day, - přeji ti všechno nejlepší k svátku, and most of all that you would be healthy and happy - a hlavně abys byl zdravý a šťastný. Of course we might also add something a bit more personal, like that you pass the chemistry exam tomorrow, or that your parents let you come out this weekend. Then we sealed our wishes with a peck on the lips or the cheek.

This is an important Czech tradition and an invaluable asset, especially if you have Czech friends. Now we will go over how to wish someone well in formal situations or more than one person: Přeji vám všechno nejlepší - I wish you all the best. If your wishes are for a birthday, then you say k narozeninám - literally to the birthday. If you remember from earlier, for a name day, you say k svátku, literally to the name day. The next part of the wish - health and happiness - takes a different form depending on who you are wishing well: to a group - abyste byli zdraví a šťastní, to a man - abyste byl zdravý a šťastný, or to a woman - abyste byla zdravá a šťastná.

One last thing, when Czechs are wishing each other well, they begin by shaking hands and continue to do so until their well-wishing is complete. I recently watched two women in a train station, who seemed to have crossed paths by chance, stand with their hands clasped for at least five minutes. I watched them enviously, while there are many things I feel at home with in the Czech Republic, long hand shakes are one of the subtleties I have not yet mastered.

Thank you for joining us! I wish you all the best, and most of all that you will be healthy and happy... a hlavně abyste byli zdraví a šťastní! Take care! Mějte se!